JPH11129510A - Method and device for recording image - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for image-recording capable of raising image quality by making an erased image more inconspicuous than heretofore and of enhancing durability with respect to repeating of the recording. SOLUTION: This image recording device comprises a recording section that records or erases an image by reversibly taking two conditions for coloring and erasing in accordance with difference of applying energy. When a character image is rewritingly recorded on a part of a recorded section of a recording medium having a magnetic recording section where recording position data of the character image is recorded, the recording position data is read from the magnetic recording section and the recording position data to be rewritingly recorded is changed based on the read recording position data. After a new character image to be rewritingly recorded is determined, the recorded content in the magnetic recording section is updated and the determined new character image is rewritingly recorded on the updated recording position in the recording section of the recording medium.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the rewriting of a character image on a recording medium on which an image can be recorded and erased by reversibly indicating two states of color development and decoloring by, for example, a difference in heating energy. The present invention relates to an image recording method and an image recording apparatus for performing recording.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional hard copy, an image is formed on a recording medium such as paper from outside using a visual material such as ink or toner, or a recording layer is formed on a base material such as paper such as thermosensitive recording paper. To record a permanent image such as forming a visible image on the recording layer.

However, with the recent construction of various network networks, the spread of facsimile machines, copiers, and the like, the rapid increase in the consumption of these recording materials has caused problems such as deforestation and other natural destruction problems, and waste management and other social issues. I'm having a problem. In order to cope with these problems, there is a strong demand for reducing the consumption of recording material such as reproduction of recording paper. In response to such a problem, a recording material capable of repeatedly recording and erasing a visible image has recently attracted attention.

As a material having such characteristics, there has been proposed a recording material which can be reversibly changed to both a transparent state and a cloudy state by a heating temperature (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-154198). Further, a display change device for displaying and erasing a display using such a recording material has also been proposed (for example, see Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 2-19568). Further, a recording material using a leuco dye, which develops and decolors depending on the difference in applied heating energy, has been disclosed (Japan Hardcopy '90, NIP-2,
p147 (1990)). Further, a recording method for simultaneously recording and erasing a visible image using a single thermal head (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-197647, etc.), or a plate-like erasure in which a strip-like heating resistor is provided on a substrate. A recording method for erasing a visible image using a dedicated head (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-4447) has also been proposed.

On the other hand, a recording material which reversibly shows two states of coloring and decoloring due to a difference in applied heating energy can obtain a high contrast because a dye is used as a coloring source, and can obtain a transparent and opaque changing material. There is an advantage that visibility is good as compared with. However, on the other hand, when there is a limit to the heating time for erasure, etc., it may be difficult to completely erase up to the initial density, and when rewriting a visible image using this recording material, an old image There was a problem that the unremaining part of it came out.

Further, since the recording layer is melted and softened when the above-mentioned material is heated, if the heat resistance of the protective layer is insufficient, distortion is caused in the portion which is repeatedly heated, and especially the surface of the leading end portion of the image. In addition, wrinkles and cracks appear, and the image quality is degraded even if the material of the recording layer itself is not deteriorated.

[0007]

As described above, a conventional recording medium capable of recording / erasing a visible image by reversibly showing two states of coloring and decoloring due to a difference in heating energy. In the recording method of rewriting recording of a visible image by using the method, there is a problem that an old image remains and the durability against repeated recording is reduced.

Accordingly, the present invention is to provide an image recording method and an image recording apparatus which eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, are less likely to remain unremoved than before, improve the image quality, and improve the durability against repeated recording. With the goal.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, an image recording method according to the present invention is capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly showing two states of color development and decolorization due to a difference in heating energy. In an image recording method for performing rewriting recording of an image on a recording medium capable of, when rewriting recording of an image recorded on the recording medium, a larger area than a recording area where the image is recorded on the recording medium is used. On the other hand, the image is erased, and the recording position of the new image to be rewritten is changed to a different position shifted from the recording position of the image before rewriting within a range that does not deviate from the erasing area, and the new character image is rewritten and recorded It is characterized by the following.

In order to achieve the above object, an image recording method according to the present invention provides a recording medium capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly showing two states of color development and decolorization due to a difference in heating energy. In an image recording method for performing rewriting recording of a character image, the number of rewriting is determined at the time of rewriting recording of a character image, and when the image recorded on the recording medium is rewritten and recorded, the image is recorded on the recording medium. The image is erased from an area larger than the recording area that has been rewritten, and if the result of the determination is that the number of rewrites is not the predetermined value, a new recording position on the recording medium is set to the same recording position as that of the image before rewriting. When the number of times of rewriting is the above-mentioned predetermined value, the recording position of the new image to be rewritten is changed to a different position shifted from the recording position of the image before rewriting within a range not departing from the erasing area. New Characterized by rewriting recorded a character image.

In order to achieve the above object, an image recording apparatus according to the present invention provides a recording medium capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly showing two states of color development and decolorization due to a difference in heating energy. A transport unit for transporting, a thermal recording unit for selectively rewriting a plurality of heating elements on the recording medium transported by the transport unit to rewrite and record an image, and a new image to be rewritten and recorded. Means for determining the recording position when rewriting an image recorded on the recording medium, and determining the recording position of a new image determined by the image determining means by the thermal recording means. A recording position determining unit that determines a different recording position shifted from a recording position of the image before rewriting determined by the determining unit within a range that does not deviate from the erased region to be erased, and by controlling the thermal recording unit. Against serial recording medium is obtained by including a control means for rewriting the recording of new images determined by the image determining unit to the changed new recording position by the changing means.

In order to achieve the above object, an image recording apparatus according to the present invention provides a recording medium capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly showing two states of color development and color erasure due to a difference in heating energy. A transport unit for transporting, a thermal recording unit for selectively rewriting a plurality of heating elements on the recording medium transported by the transport unit to rewrite and record an image, and a new image to be rewritten and recorded. Image determining means for performing rewriting of an image recorded on the recording medium, determining means for determining the number of rewriting times and a recording position when rewriting the image recorded on the recording medium, and as a result of the determination, it is determined that the number of rewriting times is not a predetermined value set in advance. If the number of rewriting is determined to be the predetermined value, the recording position of the new image is determined at the same recording position as the recording position of the image before rewriting on the recording medium. Up position A recording position determining unit that determines a different recording position shifted from a recording position of an image before rewriting within a range that does not deviate from an erasure area applied by the thermal recording unit, and the recording medium by controlling the thermal recording unit. And control means for rewriting and recording the new image determined by the image determining means at the new recording position changed by the changing means.

In order to achieve the above object, an image recording apparatus according to the present invention provides a recording medium capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly showing two states of coloring and erasing by a difference in heating energy. A transporting means for transporting, and a heating unit for selectively heating a plurality of heating elements with respect to the recording medium transported by the transporting means to erase an image from a recording range in which heating energy for recording an image is applied. Thermal recording means for rewriting and recording an image using an erasing range in which a heating energy application range is widened; determining means for determining a recording position when rewriting and recording an image recorded on the recording medium; and a new rewriting means. Image determination means for determining an image,
A different recording position in which the recording position of the new image determined by the image determining means is shifted from the recording position of the image before rewriting determined by the determining means in the direction in which the erasure range is wider than the recording range and the image is erased. Rewriting the new image determined by the image determining means at the new recording position changed by the changing means on the recording medium by controlling the thermal recording means. And control means for performing the operation.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining a character image rewriting recording method according to the first embodiment, and schematically show how a character image is repeatedly rewritten and recorded on a recording medium P. ing. Here, the recording medium P is made of a recording material capable of recording and erasing by reversibly showing two states of coloring and decoloring due to a difference in heating energy. In the thermal head, color development energy is applied to the image portion and decolorization energy is applied to the non-image portion at the same time in pixel units, so that a new image is recorded and rewritten while erasing an old image.

However, when the recording material is heated by a thermal head, the recording layer is melted and softened. Therefore, when the heat resistance of the protective film is insufficient, distortion is caused in the portion to which heating is repeatedly applied. Wrinkles and cracks are formed on the surface (protective film) of the leading end of the resulting color image, and the quality of the image is reduced even if the material of the recording layer itself is not deteriorated. Further, when a minute area is heated in a short time by a thermal head or the like, an image cannot be completely erased to an initial state, and the recording material may remain unerased. In other words, in the second and subsequent rewrites, a new image may be difficult to read or may be erroneously read due to a sense of obstruction of the previous old remaining image.

The present invention is intended to effectively reduce the problem caused by repetitive durability deterioration, especially when rewriting a character image. 1 and 2 show that the first time (N = 1) records three letters of the uppercase alphabet “ABC” on the recording medium P, and the second time (N = 2) changes “ABC” to “BC”.
D ”, and the third time (N = 3) replaces“ BCD ”with“ C ”.
This shows a state in which the three-letter alphabet is rewritten in a sequential order, such as rewriting to "DE". In the figure, newly rewritten characters are blacked out, and old unremoved characters are indicated by clay. Also,
The recording area for recording the color character image is indicated by a solid line, the area to which erasing heat is applied is indicated by a dashed line, and the past recording area is indicated by a broken line. A rewriting area is constituted by the recording area and the erasing area.

As shown in FIG. 1, according to the present invention, the erase area is set wider than the recording area, and the position of the rewrite area is shifted for each rewrite. In this case, the amount of shift of the rewriting area is such that the rewriting character is recorded by shifting the recording area within a range not exceeding the erasing area.

First, at the time of the first recording (N = 1),
“ABC” is recorded substantially at the center of the recording medium P, and at the second time (N = 2), “BCD” is recorded at a position above the first recording area. Third time (N =
In the case of 3), “CDE” is set at a position lower than the second recording area, and in the case of the fourth (N = 4), “DEF” is set to the third position.
The rewritten character is recorded shifted to a position on the right side of the first recording area. Thereafter, the recording area is shifted in a range that does not deviate from the erasure area for each rewrite, and the shifting direction is changed.

As described above, by performing the rewriting recording of the character image, the portion of the recording medium P that is heated for recording the color character image in particular changes every time, so that only the recording layer or the protective film of the specific portion is concentrated. As a result, since no color heating is given, the deterioration of the protective film is suppressed, and the durability is improved.

As will be described later in detail, in order to perform rewriting recording by changing a heating portion for each rewriting, a magnetic recording layer is provided below the recording layer of the recording medium P, and a magnetic recording layer of an image recording apparatus described later is used. By reading and writing the display contents, the position data where the display contents are recorded, and the like as invisible information by the head, the character image to be rewritten is managed.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the recording medium P. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, the recording medium P has a magnetic recording layer 2 as a storage section on one surface of a support 1 formed of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate or polyvinyl chloride. It has a configuration in which a ground layer 3, a rewritable recording layer (recording portion) 4 capable of reversibly recording and erasing an image, and a protective layer 5 are sequentially laminated to prevent deterioration due to mechanical abrasion or heating. In the magnetic recording layer 2, display contents, the number of times of rewriting, position data where the display contents are recorded, and the like are magnetically recorded as invisible information.

Here, although the characteristics of the recording layer 4 will be described later, a recording material that reversibly develops and decolors due to a difference in heating energy is used. By applying the heating energy under the following conditions, rewriting and recording of an image can be repeatedly performed. The recording material used for the recording layer 4 is mainly composed of a dye agent called a leuco dye, and a color-reducing agent that reacts with the leuco dye by heating to develop or reduce the color.

More specifically, it is composed of an electron-donating color-forming compound and an electron-accepting compound. For example, an organic phosphoric acid having a long-chain aliphatic group, a carboxyl compound, a phenol compound and a fluoran compound, There are combinations. This recording material exhibits a colored state by heating and melting, and becomes a decolored state when heated to a temperature lower than the coloring temperature. This change can be reversible. Such a recording material is described in, for example, JP-A-5-96852 and JP-A-5-193257.

In addition, a recording material (see, for example, JP-A-55-154198) that can reversibly convert both transparent and opaque states depending on the temperature applied to the recording material can be used. This reversible recording material is capable of reversibly coloring and decoloring, and can reversibly convert both transparent and opaque states at a given temperature. For example, in a transparent state, when the temperature is raised from room temperature to a clouding temperature or higher in a transparent state, the recording material changes from a transparent state to a cloudy state, and keeps the cloudy state as it is even when the temperature returns to room temperature. Furthermore, when the temperature of the recording material is raised from room temperature to a transparent temperature range and then returned to room temperature, the recording material changes from a cloudy state to a transparent state, and maintains the transparent state as it is.

Next, the coloring and decoloring characteristics of the recording layer 4 of the recording medium P used in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a change characteristic of the image density when heating energy is applied to the recording medium P by a thermal head 17 described later and the heating energy is changed. The vertical axis indicates the image density of the recording medium P, and the horizontal axis indicates the heating energy of the thermal head 17 applied to the recording medium P. In the figure, the characteristic A
Indicates the density change when heating energy is applied to the recording medium P in the initial state where color has not yet been formed, and the characteristic B indicates the density change when heating energy is applied to the recording medium P that has been colored once so that the color is erased. The characteristic C indicates the background density in the initial state when the recording medium P is not colored.

As described above, the recording medium P used in the present embodiment is mainly composed of a dye material called a leuco dye, and a color-reducing agent which reacts with the leuco dye by heating to produce a color or to reduce the color. , And can be changed to both a color-developed state and a decolored state by a difference in applied heating energy.

As can be seen from the density change characteristics of the coloring and erasing of the recording medium P, the erasing occurs at a lower energy than the coloring. Further, as the heating energy at that time is gradually increased from the lower side, the image density becomes lower, and after the maximum decoloring condition, the color starts to be formed again. Here, as noted in FIG. 4, when a minute area is heated in a short time as in a thermal head, even in the maximum decoloring condition where the image density of the erased image becomes the lowest, Color may not be able to be erased up to a typical background density, and may remain unremoved. Therefore, a single server described later
When an image is rewritten and recorded by a multi-head, an old image having a constant density value remains unerased.

Further, as can be seen from the density change of the erasing in FIG. 4, the maximum erasing condition exists only as a local point. It is difficult to maintain the conditions at all times, and in practice there may be even greater levels of disappearance.

Next, an image recording apparatus for realizing the above-described character image rewriting recording method will be described with reference to FIG. The image recording apparatus shown in FIG. 5 has a plurality of transport roller pairs 1 as transport means for transporting a card-shaped recording medium P.
1,..., A read head (magnetic head) 1 as read means for reading magnetic information such as display contents, the number of rewrites, and position data already recorded on the magnetic recording layer 2 of the recording medium P
2. an erasing head (magnetic head) 13 for erasing magnetic information already recorded on the magnetic recording layer 2 of the recording medium P; a writing head (magnetic head) for writing new magnetic information on the magnetic recording layer 2 of the recording medium P 14, each of these heads 12, 1
A plurality of transport rollers 15 for transporting the recording medium P while pressing the recording medium P against 3 and 14; a timing sensor 16 for detecting the timing of rewriting recording; and a pixel unit for the recording layer 4 of the recording medium P. A thermal head 17 as a thermal recording means for performing rewriting recording of an image by giving selective heating, and a thermal head 1 from a back surface of the recording medium P.
It is constituted by a platen roller 18 which conveys the sheet while pressing it against the sheet 7.

In such a configuration, a series of rewrite recording operations are performed while transporting the recording medium P by rotating the transport roller pair 11 by the driving force of a transport motor (not shown). That is, first, the reading head 12
Magnetic information such as display contents, number of rewrites, and position data already recorded on the magnetic recording layer 2 of the recording medium P is read, and information to be newly written is determined. At this time, a position and a direction to be shifted at the time of rewriting are determined based on the read position data. Then, after erasing the existing information with the erasing head 13, the determined new information is written with the writing head 14. Further, after the recording medium P is conveyed by the conveying roller pair 11 and the timing is detected by the timing sensor 16, the recording head P is pressed and conveyed by the platen roller 18 and rewritten to a new character image by the thermal head 17. I do.

Here, the thermal head 17 applies heating energy capable of developing color to the image portion of the recording medium P and heating energy capable of decoloring to the non-image portion. In this case, the application of each heating energy for coloring and decoloring may be performed separately by providing a separate thermal head, but in this embodiment,
By using a single linear thermal head in which the plurality of heating elements (heating resistors) are formed in a line in a line, heating energy for coloring and decoloring is generated for each heating element. With such control, rewriting and recording of character images are performed at once.

Next, the operation of rewriting an image on the recording medium P with a single thermal head 17 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows a single thermal head 1.
7 schematically shows how the image is rewritten. In the drawing, reference numeral 20 denotes a heating resistor array of the line-shaped thermal head 17, and the recording medium P on which the character image of the alphabet letter "A" is recorded moves in the direction of the arrow, and the heating resistor array 20 is moved. While it is being rewritten to an alphabetic character "B" while being heated by.

Each dot of the character "A" which has been already imaged is schematically indicated by a white circle, and each dot of the character "B" which is a new image is indicated by a black circle. Here, the heating resistor array 20 of the thermal head 17 controls the heating energy on a pixel-by-pixel basis in accordance with image information to be recorded so as to satisfy a coloring condition and a decoloring condition described later. Here, the elements of the heating resistor array 20 that provide heating under the coloring condition are blacked out, and the elements that provide heating under the decoloring condition are indicated by cross-hatching. Also, the area to which erasing heat is applied (erasing area)
Is indicated by a dashed line.

The lower part of the heating resistor array 20 that has not been heated still has an image (open circles), but the portion of the heating resistor array 20 that has already been heated is located in the image area. Since the color heating is applied to the non-image portion while the decoloring heating is applied in pixel units, the existing image is erased along with the recording of the new image, as indicated by the broken line in the figure. Therefore,
The recording medium 1 can rewrite an image irrespective of what image has been drawn before.

Next, the control section of the above-described image recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit is configured so that a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21 centrally manages the entire operation via an input / output interface (I / O) 22. That is, each operation described above is managed by the CPU 21, and the setting data such as the transport speed for transporting the recording medium P, the magnetic information, and the position data for shifting the position where the character is recorded are previously set to R.
The data is stored in an OM (read only memory) 23 and is called up in a RAM (random access memory) 24 as necessary to set each operation.
2, an operation command is issued to each of the drive circuits 25, 26, and 27.

Accordingly, in the rewriting and recording operation of the character image, first, a transfer start command is issued to the transfer motor drive circuit 26 based on the transfer speed data in the RAM 24 which is called from the ROM 23 by the CPU 21 in advance. . Thereby, the transport motor 28 operates at a preset speed, and rotates the transport rotor pair 11 to transport the recording medium P at a predetermined speed.

Subsequently, the read head 12 drives the magnetic recording layer 2 of the recording medium P via the magnetic head driving circuit 25.
The magnetic information of old display characters including the number of times of rewriting and position data is read from the
The storage data necessary for rewriting is also called from 23. Here, after the display position of the character is changed by the CPU 21, a new display character (character image) to be rewritten and recorded is determined.

Further, the CPU 21 issues an erasing command of old magnetic information and a writing command of new display character information to the magnetic head drive circuit 25, so that the erasing head 13 and the writing head 14 erase old magnetic information. Write new display character information. continue,
The CPU 21 generates a recording operation timing signal by counting the time from the time when the timing sensor 16 detects the recording medium P, and generates the thermal head driving circuit 2.
7 to send an operation command.

The thermal head drive circuit 27 drives the thermal head 17 to generate heat for rewriting a display character image to a new display position which has been determined in accordance with the arrival of the transported recording medium P. Do. Therefore,
The thermal head 17 simultaneously erases the existing character image and records the new character image according to the character image. Further, by driving the transport roller pair 11 by the transport motor 28, the recording medium P in which the existing character image has been rewritten to the new character image is discharged, and the entire operation ends.

Next, the above-described thermal head drive circuit 27 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the thermal head drive circuit 27 in FIG. 7 and its peripheral parts. In this embodiment, in order to change the heating energy of each heating resistor (heating element) of the heating resistor array 20 of the thermal head 17 between coloring and decoloring, a plurality of energizing pulse trains are applied within one pixel. Then, the number of energizing pulse trains to be given for coloring and decoloring is changed.

As shown in FIG. 8, in order to realize the present embodiment, an image data 31 indicating an image portion and an entire area for rewriting including both an image portion and a non-image portion are shown. Two data, that is, mask data 32, are present.
The process of shifting the position of the rewrite area for each rewrite as described above is performed in this 2
One data 31 and 32 are applied in advance. The two data 31 and 32 are first sent to a rewriting data creating unit 33 in the thermal head drive circuit 27.
This is processed into rewrite data in which both the recording section and the erasing section are mixed. That is, the image data 31 and the mask data 32
The portion where does not overlap is erase data. With such a configuration, when the image to be recorded is changed, only the image data 31 needs to be changed.

Next, the created rewrite data is sent to the recording / erasing pulse train data calculating section 34, where it is converted into data of a plurality of pulse trains. As described above, by calculating a plurality of pulse trains in the thermal head drive circuit 27, the capacity of the image data 31 prepared in advance can be reduced to the amount of data in pixel units. .

Accordingly, control for applying a plurality of pulses can be realized without increasing the data amount more than necessary. The data converted into a plurality of pulse trains by the recording / erasing pulse train data calculation unit 34 is transmitted to the thermal head 17.
, And the heating resistor array 20 is driven to generate heat under the above-described conditions.

Next, the flow of operation when rewriting and recording a character image in the above-described image recording apparatus will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. First, in order to change (shift) the position of the rewriting area where characters are recorded at each rewriting,
An initial position is set from among a plurality of position data set in advance (ST1). Next, the read head 12 reads the existing magnetic information such as the display content, the number of rewrites, and the position data of the old image on the recording medium P (ST3).

Next, the position data of the rewrite area is changed based on the magnetic information read in ST3 (ST5a).
Further, if there is a change in the position data to be recorded, the change is reflected, and a new character image to be rewritten is determined based on other already read magnetic information (ST5b). Subsequently, after the erasing head 13 erases the existing magnetic information of the recording medium P, the writing head 14 writes the new image information determined in ST5b as new magnetic information. That is, the recording contents of the magnetic recording layer 2 of the recording medium P are updated (ST7, ST9).

Subsequently, the recording medium P is
6 and the timing of rewriting is counted (ST11). When the recording medium P reaches a predetermined position of the thermal head 17, ST5a
The new character image is rewritten to the position data determined in step (1), and a series of operations is completed (ST13).

Here, when the position of the rewrite area is shifted in the transport direction (the front-back direction of the recording medium P), the timing count value is changed, and the direction is perpendicular to the transport direction (the horizontal direction of the recording medium P). ), The image data and the mask data are uniformly shifted in the horizontal direction.
Therefore, with the above-described configuration of the image recording apparatus, it is possible to rewrite a new character image while changing the position at which the character image is rewritten and recorded by operating as described above.

Next, the point that the repetition durability of the recording medium is improved by performing the rewritable recording method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 shows a recording medium in which a 4 mm square rectangular pattern is rewritten 200 times by shifting the position of a rewriting area for each rewriting, and a case where 200 times rewriting is repeated without changing the rewriting position by a conventional method. The vertical axis indicates the measured image density, and the horizontal axis indicates the measurement position in the recording area of the recording medium. Further, the measurement results in the rewritable recording method of the present invention are shown by solid lines, and the measurement results in the conventional method are shown by broken lines.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the conventional method, since recording is repeatedly performed on the same portion of the recording area, wrinkles and cracks are generated in the protective film at the portion where rewriting is to be performed due to distortion during heating by the thermal head. , The density value at the time of recording has decreased. That is, when the recording layer of the recording medium is softened when heated by the thermal head and the recording layer (protective layer) is softened, the pressing force of the thermal head and the transport force of the platen roller are applied, and the downstream side (rear side) in the transport direction is applied. )
In particular, wrinkles and cracks are formed in the protective layer, and the density value is reduced, since the pulling force is always concentrated on the protective film at the recording area. On the other hand, in the method of the present invention, the recording position is shifted so that the heating is performed, so that the load does not concentrate on a specific portion of the protective layer, and the density value does not decrease. That is, it is possible to suppress a decrease in image quality when repeatedly rewriting recording is performed, and to improve durability against rewriting recording.

As described above, in the first embodiment, when rewriting and recording a character image, the recording area is shifted within a range that does not deviate from the erasing area, and the shifting direction is changed. Thus, since the portion of the recording medium P that is heated to record a color-formed character image, in particular, changes every time, the color-forming heating is not concentrated on only the recording layer or the protective film of the specific portion. Deterioration is suppressed, and the durability is improved.

Next, a rewritable recording method according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG.
1 to 12 are diagrams schematically showing a state in which a character image is rewritten and recorded on the recording medium P by the rewrite recording method according to the second embodiment. The recording medium P is exactly the same as the recording medium used in the first embodiment, and the rewriting pattern of the character image is similar to that of the first embodiment except that uppercase alphabets are sequentially changed from “ABC”. The state at the time of rewriting is shown. I have. 11 to 1
As shown in FIG. 2, three letters of an uppercase alphabet "ABC" are arranged on a recording medium P from left to right with the character images facing up from the front in the figure, and the first time (N = 1)
Record. The second (N = 2) is the first (N = 2)
The recording position is shifted upward with respect to the recording position of 1), and "BCD" is rewritten and recorded. In the third time (N = 3), “CDE” is rewritten and recorded by shifting the recording position to the right (in the direction in which the arrangement of characters is started) with respect to the recording position in the second time (N = 2). The fourth (N = 4) is shifted obliquely to the upper right with respect to the recording position of the third (N = 3), and “DEF” is performed. The fifth (N = 5) is the fourth (N = 4). The EFG is rewritten and shifted to the right with respect to the recording position of ()).

That is, the direction in which the rewrite area is shifted for each rewrite is repeatedly changed in the order of “up”, “right”, and “diagonally up right”. For this reason, even if an old image remains unerased, the new image is rewritten by shifting the recording position in the direction that is always recognized earlier when rewriting, so that the new image is recognized earlier than the remaining image. In addition, it is possible to suppress the sense of obstruction of the remaining image.

As described above, in the second embodiment, when the recording area is shifted for each rewriting, the recording area is shifted to the head of the recording character. In other words, the rewriting area is shifted only in the upward direction of the characters to be rewritten, the starting direction of the arrangement, and the oblique direction between these two directions. In this way, even if the old image remains unerased, the new image is rewritten by shifting the recording position so that it is always recognized quickly when rewriting, so that the new image is recognized earlier than the remaining image. Thus, the sense of obstruction of the remaining image can be suppressed. Further, as in the first embodiment, the amount of shift of the rewrite area includes a range in which the erase area when the rewrite area is shifted includes (does not deviate from) the recording area before the shift of the rewrite area (immediately before). That is, at the time of rewriting recording, the rewriting character is recorded by shifting the recording area within a range not exceeding the erasing area.

[0054]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is harder to see the rest than before, improving the image quality,
In addition, durability against repeated recording can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining an image recording method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view schematically showing a state in which an uncle image is repeatedly rewritten and recorded on a recording medium.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the image recording method according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is a view schematically showing how an uncle image is repeatedly rewritten and recorded on a recording medium.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a configuration of a recording medium according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing color development and decoloration characteristics of a recording medium.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of an image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a state in which an image is rewritten by a single thermal head.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a control unit of the image recording apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a thermal head driving circuit of FIG. 7 and a peripheral portion thereof.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of performing rewrite recording by the image recording apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an improvement in the repetition durability of a recording medium by the image recording method according to the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the image recording method according to the embodiment, and is a view schematically showing a state in which a character image is repeatedly rewritten and recorded on a recording medium.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the image recording method according to the embodiment, and is a view schematically showing a state in which a character image is repeatedly rewritten and recorded on a recording medium.

[Explanation of symbols]

 P Recording medium 1 Support 2 Magnetic recording layer 3 Underlayer 4 Rewriting recording layer 5 Protective layer 11, 15 Transport roller pair 12 Read head (magnetic head) 13 Erase head (magnetic head) 14 Write head (magnetic head) 16 Timing Sensor 17 Thermal head 18 Platen roller 20 Heating resistor array

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. An image recording method for rewriting and recording an image on a recording medium capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly showing two states of color development and color erasure due to a difference in heating energy. When rewriting an image recorded on a recording medium, the image is erased in an area larger than the recording area where the image is recorded on the recording medium, and the recording position of a new image to be rewritten is erased. An image recording method characterized in that a new character image is rewritten and recorded by changing to a different position shifted from the recording position of the image before rewriting within a range not departing from the area. 2. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein a recording position of a new image to be rewritten is shifted in a direction in which the image is erased wider than the recording area. 3. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the direction in which the recording position of the new image to be rewritten is shifted is changed each time the rewrite recording is performed. 4. A recording position of a new image to be rewritten and recorded,
2. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein a new character image is rewritten and recorded by changing the recording position of the image before rewriting to a different position shifted upward in a new image to be rewritten and recorded. 5. A recording position of a new image to be rewritten and recorded,
2. A new character image is rewritten and recorded by changing a recording position from a recording position of an image before rewriting to a different position shifted in a start direction of an image to be newly rewritten and recorded.
The image recording method described in the above. 6. A recording position of a new image to be rewritten and recorded,
2. A new character image is rewritten and recorded by changing the recording position from the recording position of the image before rewriting to a different position shifted upward and in the start direction of the image to be newly rewritten and recorded. Image recording method. 7. An image recording method for rewriting recording of a character image on a recording medium capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly indicating two states of coloring and decoloring by a difference in heating energy. When the number of rewrites is determined at the time of rewriting recording of a character image, and when rewriting and recording the image recorded on the recording medium,
The image is erased in an area larger than the recording area where the image is recorded on the recording medium, and as a result of the determination, when the number of rewriting is not a predetermined value set in advance, the image before rewriting of the recording medium is rewritten. When a new character image is rewritten and recorded at the same recording position as the recording position, and when the number of times of rewriting is the above-mentioned predetermined value, the recording position of the new image to be rewritten and recorded is the recording position of the image before rewriting within a range not departing from the erasing area. An image recording method characterized by rewriting and recording a new character image by changing to a different position shifted from the original character image. 8. A transport means for transporting a recording medium capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly displaying two states of coloring and decoloring due to a difference in heating energy; Thermal recording means for rewriting and recording an image by selectively driving a plurality of heating elements with respect to a recording medium; image determining means for determining a new image to be rewritten and recorded; and an image recorded on the recording medium. Determining means for determining the recording position when rewriting recording; and determining the recording position of the new image determined by the image determining means within the range of erasing performed by the thermal recording means within the range of the erasure. Recording position determining means for determining a different recording position shifted from the determined recording position of the image before rewriting; and a new recording medium changed by the changing means for the recording medium by controlling the thermal recording means. Image recording apparatus comprising: the control means for Do recording position on the recording rewriting a new image determined by the image determining unit, by comprising a. 9. A transport means for transporting a recording medium capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly displaying two states of coloring and decoloring due to a difference in heating energy; Thermal recording means for rewriting and recording an image by selectively driving a plurality of heating elements with respect to a recording medium; image determining means for determining a new image to be rewritten and recorded; and an image recorded on the recording medium. Determining means for determining the number of rewrites and the recording position when rewriting recording; and, as a result of the determination, when it is determined that the number of rewrites is not a predetermined value set in advance, the recording position of the image on the recording medium before rewriting. The recording position of the new image is determined at the same recording position as above, and if it is determined that the number of rewrites is the predetermined value, the recording position of the new image is changed to the erasure area to be applied by the thermal recording unit Range that does not deviate A recording position determining unit that determines a different recording position shifted from a recording position of an image before rewriting; and a new recording position changed by the changing unit with respect to the recording medium by controlling the thermal recording unit. Control means for rewriting and recording a new image determined by the image determining means. 10. The recording position determining means determines a recording position of a new image determined by the image determining means within a range not departing from an erasure area applied by the thermal recording means. 9. The image recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising changing means for changing the recording position of the image before rewriting to a different position shifted upward in the upward direction of the new image. 11. The recording position determining means determines a recording position of a new image determined by the image determining means within a range not departing from an erasure area applied by the thermal recording means. 9. The image recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising changing means for changing a recording position of the image before rewriting to a different position shifted in a start direction of the new image. 12. The recording position determining means determines the recording position of a new image determined by the image determining means within a range not exceeding the area of erasure performed by the thermal recording means. 9. The image recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising changing means for changing the recording position of the image before rewriting to a different position shifted upward and in the start direction of the new image. 13. A transporting means for transporting a recording medium capable of recording and erasing an image by reversibly displaying two states of color development and decoloring by a difference in heating energy, and a transporting medium transported by the transporting means. By selectively driving a plurality of heating elements with respect to a recording medium, an image is formed using an erasing range in which a heating energy for erasing an image is wider than a recording range for applying a heating energy for recording an image. Thermal recording means for performing rewrite recording of the image, determining means for determining a recording position when rewriting an image recorded on the recording medium, image determining means for determining a new image to be rewritten, and image determining means. The recording position of the determined new image is shifted from the recording position of the image before rewriting determined by the determination means in a direction in which the erasing range is wider than the recording range and the image is erased. A recording position determining unit that determines a different recording position, and a new recording position determined by the image determining unit to a new recording position changed by the changing unit with respect to the recording medium by controlling the thermal recording unit. An image recording apparatus, comprising: control means for rewriting and recording an image.