JPH11198497A - Printer, printer control device, and printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the setting of the initial value of a printer. SOLUTION: The data 7 of the explanation compsn. of various set contents capable of being set as initial data is prepared in a printer 3 or a host computer 1. At each time when a user selects the set contents when a user performs the setting of the initial value, the explanation compsn. of the selected set contents is printed by a printer 3 or displayed on the display of the host computer 1. When the set contents are like a character code table, the printing example image in the case using the set contents is printed or displayed in place of the explanation compsn. The user judges whether the selected set contents is adequate or not when he reads the explanation compsn. or the printing example.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for setting an initial value of a printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An initial value setting (so-called default setting) function of a printer is a function held by a printer in order to provide an easy-to-use initial value according to a destination country or a user's use environment. . The setting of the initial value is performed by a selection based on a combination of ON / OFF of a DIP switch, a method of setting selection items and selection contents while pressing down a plurality of switches on an operation panel, and the like.
In addition, during setting, a device for displaying names of selected items and selected contents on an LCD display or printing a list of current setting values to make it easy to perform initial value setting is also implemented.

[0003]

In recent years, as the environment surrounding computers has changed and printer operating environments have expanded, selection items for initial values of printers have been diversified and appear more complicated. As an example, a character code table is a table in which necessary characters are arranged in each country. However, in recent years, the number of types is increasing and there are about 40 types of tables in the latest models. However, there are too many types of code tables, and the name of each table is, for example, P
Since C437 and PC850 are meaningless to the user, there is a problem that the user does not know which table to select without carefully reading the manual. Similarly, for other choices,
Unless you read the manual carefully, many users will not know what to expect if you select it.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily set initial values of a printer.

[0005]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer comprising: an initial value setting unit for setting a setting selected from a plurality of selectable setting contents as an initial value; Descriptive text information including data describing the text of the content, and if any setting content is selected, the data of the text corresponding to the selected setting content is obtained from the text description information and the description text is obtained. And a description output means for outputting

According to this printer, every time a certain set content is selected as an initial value, a description of the set content is output. Various modes are used for the output method, such as printing the explanatory note, outputting the explanatory note by voice, or sending the explanatory note to a host device connected to the printer and displaying the explanatory note on the host device. obtain. In any case, the user can determine whether or not the selected setting content is appropriate by touching the output description, so that the user can easily select appropriate setting content and set it in the printer. The selection of the setting content can be made by using a switch on the operation panel of the printer or by using a command from the host device.

[0007] Of the setting contents, for example, a setting item of a type that is more easily determined by the user when a specific print example such as a character code table is used, instead of an explanatory note, Alternatively, an image of a test print example when the setting content is used together with the description may be output.

The output of the explanation and the test print image can be performed only when another setting content is not selected within a predetermined time, for example, one second after the selection of the setting content. . Thereby, while the user is searching for desired setting contents and switching the setting contents one after another, useless output is omitted.

This output is not always performed when the set contents are selected, but only when there is an output request from the user (or omitted when there is a request from the user not to use the output). ). Thus, the user who has been informed of the initial setting can efficiently perform the initial setting by not requesting the output.

[0010] Furthermore, not only the description of each setting content but also the description of the initial value setting operation are prepared, and this is printed or displayed at the start of the initial value setting operation, for example. You may comprise so that a setting operation of a user may be made easier.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer control device for controlling a printer so that a setting selected from a plurality of selectable setting contents is set as an initial value, and the plurality of setting contents. The description information including the data representing the description of the description, and if any setting content is selected, the data of the description corresponding to the selected setting content is obtained from the description information, and the description is obtained. And a description output means for outputting

With this printer control device, each time a certain setting content is selected, its description is output.
The user can easily select appropriate setting contents and set them in the printer by touching the description. The printer control device can be mounted on, for example, a host device connected to the printer. The method of outputting the description is to display the description on the display device of the host device, make the printer print, or output audio. Various methods can be adopted.

Although this printer control device can be realized by dedicated hardware, it can typically be realized by a computer program. The computer program can be installed or loaded on the computer through various media such as a disk storage, a semiconductor memory, and a communication line.

[0014]

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a printing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

A printer 3 is connected to the host computer 1. Although the type of the printer 3 may be of any type, a serial printer that performs printing in line units is more suitable for implementing the present invention than a page printer that performs printing in page units. The printer 3 includes a host interface 5 for receiving a print command from the host computer 1 and a command analysis / character analysis for analyzing the received print command and converting a character code included in the command into corresponding font data. It has a code processing unit 7. Upon receiving the command analysis result and the font data from the command analysis / character code processing unit 7, the print processing module 9 creates print image data, and responds to the print image data in response to the print image data.
1 forms the actual print image on the paper.

The printer 3 also includes an operation panel 19 including panel switches for performing initial value setting and the like and a plurality of LEDs for performing status display and the like.
And an initial value setting module 15 that performs an initial value setting process in response to a predetermined switch operation from step 9. The initialization module 15 is typically a process implemented by computer software, but need not be, and may be implemented by dedicated hardware. The initial value setting module 15 selects a setting item in response to a predetermined panel switch operation for selecting an initial value setting item (for example, a character code table, a print direction, a page length, an interface, etc.). A function, a setting item display function for displaying the selected setting item on a plurality of LEDs in a lighting / off / flashing pattern, and a specific setting content (for example, which character code table or printing direction is used for the selected setting item). A setting content selection function to select the setting content in response to a predetermined panel switch operation for selecting the direction, bidirectional, interface automatic selection, parallel designation, serial designation, etc.) Setting content display function to display on / off / blinking pattern on multiple LEDs and selection The explanation of the setting contents is printed (or, if the setting contents are more easily understood by the user by showing a specific printing example such as a character code table, a concrete printing example of the execution result of the setting contents) And a description printing function for passing a print command for performing test printing to a command analysis / character code processing unit.

In the above-described setting content selection function, the selected setting content is written into a non-volatile memory such as the EEPROM 13, and thereafter, the new setting content for the same setting item is selected and held until the new setting content is written into the EEPROM 13. .

In order to perform the above-described description printing function, the initial value setting module 15 has a description command group 17 which is a group of print commands for printing a description for each setting content. The language format of the print command of each explanatory note may be the same as that of the print command from the host computer 1, or may be a lower or higher order, and a command analysis / character code processing unit. Even if 7 is a language format that can be understood as it is,
Alternatively, a language format that can be understood by the command analysis / character code processing unit 7 only after the conversion process in the initial value setting module 15 may be used. In the explanatory note printing function, the initial value setting module 15 selects an explanatory note print command of the selected setting content from the explanatory note command group 17 (if the language format is command analysis /
If the character code processing unit 7 does not understand,
After converting it to a command in a language format that understands it)
The selected explanatory note print command is passed to the command analysis / character code processing unit 7. The command analysis / character code processing unit 7 processes the explanatory note print command in the same manner as the print command from the host computer 1. As a result, when the user selects an arbitrary setting content, a description of the selected setting content (or a test print text which is a print example of the setting result in the case of a character code table or the like) is printed on paper. The user can determine whether or not the selection is appropriate by looking at this.

The description command group 17 includes, in addition to the description of each setting content, a print command of a description of a switch operation method for performing initial value setting. The initial value setting module 15 also has a function of selecting a print command of the switch operation explanatory note and transferring it to the command / character data processing unit 7 at the time of activation. Therefore, at the start of the initial value setting, the switch operation description for that is also printed on the paper, and the user can read it.

FIG. 2 shows a flow of processing performed by the initial value setting module 15.

For example, when a specific panel switch is pressed in a predetermined manner, the initial value setting module 15 is started, and first, the process of printing the above-described initial value setting switch operation description is performed (step S1). In accordance with the printed switch operation description, the user can operate the panel switch so as to select a desired setting item and subsequently select desired setting contents.

When a panel switch operation for selecting a setting item is performed (S2), an initial value setting module 15 is set.
Selects the setting item next to the setting item selected so far, stores the item number of the selected setting item, and displays the setting item on the LED (S3).
Therefore, as the user performs a switch operation for setting item selection, various setting items are sequentially switched and selected in the order of, for example, character code table → print direction → page length → interface →. .

When a panel switch operation for selecting a setting content is performed in a state where one setting item is selected (S4), the initial value setting module 15 sets the selected setting item to The next setting content after the setting content selected so far is selected, the selected setting content is written into the EEPROM 13, the content number of the selected setting content is stored, and the setting content is displayed on the LED ( S5). For example, when the user performs a switch operation of setting content selection in a state where a character code table is selected as a setting item, various character code tables as setting contents are, for example, PC437 → PC850 → PC860 →. In this way, the data is switched in order and selected and overwritten on the EEPROM 13. Further, for example, when the user performs a switch operation of setting content selection in a state where an interface is selected as a setting item, the various setting items are switched in order, for example, automatic → parallel → serial →. And the data is overwritten in the EEPROM 13.

Each time one setting content is selected, the initial value setting module 15 should print out the execution result of the selected setting content of the type which should be shown in the test print, or print a description. Judge whether the type is (S
6). As a result, for example, in the case of a type of setting content for which the execution result is to be indicated by test printing, such as a character code table, a test print statement, which is a specific example of the execution result of the setting content, is generated using a known test printing function. A printing process is performed (S7). When a character code table “PC437” is selected by this test printing process, for example, all characters on the character code table of the PC437 are printed as a character string extending over several lines. The user can determine whether the user has selected the desired character code table by looking at the test print character string. In the case of a setting content of a type for which a description is to be printed, the initial value setting module 15 uses the stored item number and content number as a key to execute a print command for the description of the setting content in the description command group. 17 and prints the explanation (S8). As a result, for example, if the setting content "Auto" was selected in the setting item "Interface", the description such as "Data can be received from any interface"
When the setting content “parallel” is selected, a description such as “Data can be received only from the standard parallel interface” is printed. This allows the user to determine whether his or her selection is appropriate.

This description print or test print is not performed immediately when the user selects the setting content, but another setting content is not selected after waiting for a predetermined time of, for example, about one second from the selection of the setting content. Can be configured to be performed only when the Then, while the user switches the setting contents by repeating the panel switch operation (for example, the character code table is stored in the PC 43).
7 → PC850 → PC860 →... While searching for a desired table), explanation printing and test printing of the setting contents in the middle are not performed, so that unnecessary printing is omitted. In addition, the time required for setting the initial value does not need to be long.

If it is determined that the selection is not appropriate based on the explanation and the test print result, the user can operate the panel switch again to select another setting content, and in response, the initial value setting module responds. The processing from step S4 is repeated.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a printing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the host computer 1
In addition, a printer utility 25 for performing various operations on the printer 3 is installed, and the printer utility 25 has an initial value setting module 27 for performing initial value setting for the printer. Note that the printer utility 25 is typically realized by computer software, but is not necessarily required to be so, and may be realized by dedicated hardware. The printer utility 25 may be separate from a printer driver (not shown) for sending a print command to the printer 3, or may be incorporated in the printer driver.

The printer utility 25 further includes:
Initial value setting screen data 29 for displaying a graphic user interface screen for initial value setting on the display 21 of the host computer 1, and explanatory note data for displaying explanatory text of each initial value setting content on the display 21. It also has an explanatory note data group 31 which is a collection. The description of each setting content in the description data group 29 is basically a description of the meaning of each setting content. However, in the case of a type of setting content such as a character code table, the description text is used. Instead, the data may be data indicating a specific print example image of a setting result such as a list of characters on a character code table. On the initial value setting screen displayed on the display 21 based on the initial value setting screen data 29, all selectable setting items and all selectable setting contents are shown.

The printer 3 includes a description command group 17 similar to that of the first embodiment (the language format is the same as that of the command from the host computer 1, higher or lower). Good, but can be understood by the command analysis / character code processing unit 7). The command analysis / character code processing unit 7 responds to a print command from the host computer 1 and also writes a setting content specified by the command to the EEPROM 13 in response to a special command for initial value setting. It has a function of reading out the explanatory text of the specified setting content from the explanatory text data group 17 and printing it (or performing test printing in the case of the setting content such as a character code table).

The initial value setting module 27 of the printer utility 25 in the host computer 1 displays the initial setting screen using the initial setting screen data 29 on the display 2.
An initial setting screen display function for sending a command to the printer 1 and instructing the printer 3 to print a description of the operation method;
An input device (for example, a keyboard or a mouse) 23 for selecting a setting item on the initial setting screen is used to select a setting item in response to an operation, and the selected setting item is displayed on the initial setting screen so as to be understood. A setting item selection function to be displayed and a setting content are selected in response to an operation of the input device 23 for selecting a setting content on the initial setting screen, and the selected setting content is displayed on the initial setting screen so as to be understood. A setting content selection function for displaying and sending a command for specifying the selected setting content to the printer 3, and a description display for selecting a description of the selected setting content from the description data group 31 and displaying it on the display With function.

FIG. 4 shows a flow of processing performed by the initialization module 27.

When activated, the initial setting module 27 first displays an initial setting screen on the display 21 using the initial value setting screen data 29 and prints a description of the initial setting operation method on the printer 3. Is sent (S11). The command analysis / character data processing unit 7 of the printer 3 acquires a print command of the operation method description from the description command group 17 in response to the command, and performs a process of printing the operation method description.
The user looks at the initial setting screen on the display 21 and
In addition, the user can understand the initial setting method by reading the printed operation method explanation. The description of the operation method may be printed at the time of startup. Alternatively, the description may be printed only when the user inputs a print request for the description on the initial setting screen, for example.

Next, a predetermined operation of the input device 23 for selecting any setting item on the initial setting screen (for example, a mouse click on a column of a specific setting item on the screen).
Is performed (S12), the initial setting module 27 selects the setting item, stores the item number, and
The selected setting item on the initial setting screen is displayed in such a manner that the selected setting item can be recognized by, for example, displaying a white outline or moving a cursor on the column of the setting item (S13).

In a state where one setting item is selected, an operation of the input device 23 for selecting a certain setting content (for example, a mouse click on a specific setting content on the screen, or a setting content from the keyboard). When a numerical value or a character string is input (S14), the initial setting module 27 selects the setting content, stores the content number, and displays the selected setting content on the initial setting screen. , Is displayed so that the user can select it (S1
5). Further, the initial setting module 27 extracts the data of the description of the selected setting content from the description data group 31 using the stored setting item number and the setting content number as keys, and displays the description on the display 21. Display,
An initial value setting command including the setting item number and the setting content number is sent to the printer 3, and the printer 3 is instructed to register the selected setting content in the EEPROM 13 (S16). In response to the initial value setting command, the command analysis / character code processing unit 7 of the printer 3 writes the selected setting contents into the EEPROM 13 and performs the processing of steps S6, S7, and S8 shown in FIG. Then, a description of the selected setting content is printed or a test print of an execution result of the setting content is performed. The description print or the test print here may be performed every time each setting content is selected. Alternatively, the print is performed only when the user requests the print on the initial value setting screen, for example. Or may be omitted.

Each time the user selects a setting, the user can select a description of the setting displayed on the display 21 (this is a commentary on the meaning of the setting, as described above, or a specific printout). It is possible to determine whether or not the setting contents are appropriate by looking at the printed description or printed example.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples for describing the present invention.
The scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited only to this embodiment. The present invention can be implemented in various forms other than the above-described embodiments. For example, in the system shown in FIG. 1, the initial value setting module 15 responds not only to the switch operation of the operation panel 19 but also to a special command for setting the initial value from the host computer 1 in the same manner. It can be configured to perform the processing shown in FIG. Also, this initial value setting module 15
In addition to or instead of printing the description and the test print example, the description and the test print example image are sent to the host computer 1 to be displayed on the display, and the description is output as audio. You can also. Further, in the system shown in FIG.
The printer utility 25 in the host computer 1 may instead use the printer driver (not shown) to send a print command of the description to the printer 3 without having the description command group 17.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a print system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing performed by an initial value setting module 15;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a print system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by an initial value setting module 27;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Host computer 3 Printer 7 Command analysis / character code processing unit 13 EEPROM 15, 27 Initial value setting module 17 Explanation command group 19 Operation panel 31 Explanation data group

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. An initial value setting means for setting a setting content selected from a plurality of selectable setting contents as an initial value, and description information including data representing a description of the plurality of setting contents. When any one of the setting contents is selected, a description of acquiring the description data corresponding to the selected setting content from the description information and outputting the description corresponding to the selected setting content And a statement output means. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the explanation output means outputs the explanation only when another setting is not selected within a predetermined time after the setting is selected. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the explanation output means outputs the explanation by printing. 4. The printer according to claim 1, wherein said explanation output means outputs the explanation in speech. 5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer is connected to a host device for controlling the printer, and the description output means outputs data representing the description to the host device. 6. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising an operation panel having a switch, wherein the selection is performed by a switch on the operation panel. 7. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer is connected to a host device for controlling the printer, and the selection is performed by a signal from the host device. 8. The description output means outputs an image of a test print example showing an execution result of the predetermined setting content instead of or in addition to the description when a predetermined setting content is selected. The printer according to claim 1, wherein 9. The explanatory note information includes explanatory note data of an initial value setting operation, and the explanatory note output means converts the explanatory note data of the initial value setting operation into the explanatory note information at a predetermined opportunity. From
2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein a description of the initial value setting operation is output. 10. A control means for controlling a printer to set a setting selected from a plurality of selectable setting contents as an initial value, and data representing a description of the plurality of setting contents. Explanatory text information, If any setting content is selected, obtain the data of the explanatory text corresponding to the selected setting content from the explanatory text information, and write the explanatory text corresponding to the selected setting content. And a description output means for outputting a description. 11. The printer control device according to claim 10, further comprising a display device, wherein the explanatory note output means outputs the explanatory note by displaying the explanatory note on the display device. 12. The printer control device according to claim 10, wherein said explanation output means outputs the explanation in voice. 13. The description output means outputs the description by causing the printer to print the description.
0. The printer control device according to 0. And means for controlling the printer so as to set a setting content selected from a plurality of selectable setting contents as an initial value, and data representing a description of the plurality of setting contents. Explanatory text information, If any setting content is selected, obtain the data of the explanatory text corresponding to the selected setting content from the explanatory text information, and write the explanatory text corresponding to the selected setting content. A computer-readable recording medium carrying a program for causing a computer to function as a printer control device, comprising: 15. An initial value setting means, comprising: a printer; and a host device for giving a print command to the printer, wherein the printer sets, as an initial value, setting contents selected from a plurality of selectable setting contents. And description information including data representing the description of the plurality of settings, and if any of the settings is selected, the description information corresponding to the selected setting is displayed in the description information. And a description output means for outputting a description corresponding to the selected setting content. 16. A printer, comprising: a printer and a host device, wherein the host device controls the printer so as to set a setting selected from a plurality of selectable setting contents as an initial value; Descriptive sentence information including data representing explanatory texts of a plurality of setting contents, and when any of the setting contents is selected, data of the explanatory text corresponding to the selected setting contents is obtained from the explanatory note information. And a description output means for outputting a description corresponding to the selected setting content.