JPS60257281A - Detecting system for color surface of color ink medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detact a color surface without lowering the recording capacity of a thermal transfer type color recorder, by a method wherein bar codes provided outside a recording region in correspondence with each ink layer are detected by a sensor, and re-detection is conducted when a detection error is generated. CONSTITUTION:In the color ink medium 1', the width of a film base is set to be larger than the width of each ink layer, and a bar code region (b) is provided at an edge part on one side of the base. The bar codes (c) (c1, c2, c3, c4) for discriminating colors are provided in the region (b) in correspondence with each ink color. The sensor 5 for sequentially detecting the bar codes (c) concurrently with sub-scan feeding of the medium 1' is provided, and the color of each ink layer is discriminated by reading the content of each of the bar codes (c) on the basis of an output from the sensor S. When a start or stop code in the bar code (c) is misdetected with the result that the content of the bar code can be not be read, the medium 1' is rewound to bring the leading end position of the bar code (c) to a detecting position, and the bar code (c) is re-detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a color plane detection method for a color ink medium for detecting each color plane of a color ink medium in a thermal transfer type color recording device.

In general, in a thermal transfer type color recording device, a plurality of recording elements are arranged in one line in the main scanning direction between a recording head and a platen, and each color is printed surface-sequentially by primary color. While a sheet-shaped color ink medium on which an ink layer is formed is brought into pressure contact with a recording paper and fed in a sub-scanning direction, recording by thermal transfer corresponding to image information for each line of each primary color is sequentially performed. There is. At this time, as shown in Figure 5, each ink layer in this color ink medium 1 has a recording capacity for one page, and first, one page is recorded using the yellow (Y) ink layer. After setting the recording paper, pull it back so that the leading edge of the recording paper comes to the recording head, then print one page of magenta (M) ink layer, and then pull the recording paper back again. Finally, 1 due to the cyan (C) ink layer part.
By recording one page, a color image is obtained by overlapping transfer.

However, in such a thermal transfer type color recording device, in order to record a predetermined color image, it is necessary to control the feeding of the color ink medium so that the ink layer with the necessary color surface comes to the position of the recording head. If an error occurs in feeding the color ink medium, the wrong color will be recorded.

For this reason, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 6, a black belt zone a having a certain width is provided at the boundary between each ink layer in the color ink medium 1, and the black belt zone a is detected by an optical sensor and transferred to the next color surface. I'm trying to get it under control.

However, if such a means for controlling the feeding of the color ink medium 1 is used, the total area of the ink layers in the color ink medium 1 decreases because a black band zone a is provided at each boundary of each ink layer. , its black belt zone a
Therefore, the color ink medium 1 must be fed an additional amount by that amount, and the overall recording speed is reduced. Furthermore, if a detection error occurs in one black belt zone a, the wrong color plane will be transferred.

Furthermore, it is not possible to detect a specific color plane on the color ink medium 1, and it is impossible to automatically initialize the color plane when setting the color ink medium 1.

Conventionally, a system has been developed in which color surface detection is performed by irradiating the surface of a color ink medium with red light and green light and detecting the spectral characteristics of each color ink layer. The structure is complicated.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, a normal color ink medium is provided with a black (B) ink layer to enable monochrome recording (Y), CM).

Each ink layer of (C) and (B) is treated as one recording block, and a plurality of blocks are wound into a roll to continuously record one page in each recording block. However, in the past, for example, when only one page of monochrome recording was performed using a black (B) ink layer, even if there was an unused color ink layer in that recording block, The color ink medium continues to be fed idle, and the color ink medium is wasted.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and is designed to easily and reliably detect each color plane in a color ink medium of a thermal transfer type color recording device without reducing the recording capacity in any way. The present invention provides a color surface detection method for color ink media.

In addition, the present invention provides a color surface detection method for color ink media that makes it possible to easily reuse the ink layer that has been idly fed when detecting the color surface of the color ink medium. This is what we provide.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the color surface detection method for color ink media according to the present invention, as shown in FIG.
Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) color ink layers, and black (B) ink layer are formed in the color ink medium 1' sequentially, and the width of the film base is determined by the width of each ink layer. A barcode area is provided on one edge of the barcode area larger than the width of C, and within that area, a barcode C (
cl, c2. c3. c4), and a sensor S is provided to sequentially detect each barcode C according to the sub-scanning feed of the color ink medium 1', and the content of each barcode C is read by the sensor output, and the color type of each ink layer is determined. The purpose is to take measures to determine the Here, each barcode C is provided in front of each ink layer, and its color surface is detected prior to each ink layer when the five-color ink medium 1' is fed in the sub-scanning direction. In the figure, cl is a barcode for yellow (Y) recognition, c2 is a barcode for magenta (M) recognition, c3 is a barcode for cyan (C) recognition, and c4 is a barcode for black (B) recognition. are shown respectively.

For example, as shown in Figure 2, barcode C has a start code at the beginning, an end code at the end, and a blank type code and a recording block order code are inserted in between, and is widely used. Code 3
of 9 is used. Note that the barcode c1 in FIG. 2 indicates a yellow ('Y) ink layer in the first recording block. As the sensor S, for example, a transmitted light type optical sensor is used when a film base of the color ink medium 1' is made of a film base that transmits light and is attached with a bar code C that prevents light. When a reflective barcode C is attached, a reflected light type optical sensor is used. Furthermore, if a barcode C made of magnetic material is attached, a magnetic sensor can also be used. FIG. 3 shows the contents of each barcode C in each recording block of the color ink medium 1'.

However, if the color surface detection method of the color ink medium according to the present invention is adopted, the contents of the barcode C detected by the sensor S can be read while the color ink medium is being fed in the sub-scanning direction in a thermal transfer type color recording device. It becomes possible to easily determine the color type of each ink layer. Furthermore, since the barcode C is provided outside the recording area of the color ink medium 1', color surface detection can be performed without any reduction in the recording capacity.

In this case, especially in the present invention, when the start/stop code in the barcode C is not detected and the contents of the barcode C become unreadable, the color ink medium V is rewound to the beginning position of the barcode C. A means is taken to cause the barcode C to be read again.

However, by adopting such a means of re-reading the barcode C, it is possible to reliably detect the color plane without making it impossible to determine the color type of each ink layer on the color ink medium 1'. Become.

Particularly, in the present invention, the barcode C of the ink layer of the color ink medium 1' that is unused and has been fed in the thermal transfer type color recording apparatus is stored, and the barcode C of the ink layer on the color ink medium 1' that is unused and has been fed in a blank manner in the thermal transfer type color recording apparatus is stored, and the barcode C of the ink layer is stored in the thermal transfer type color recording apparatus, and the barcode C of the ink layer in the color ink medium 1' that has been fed in a blank manner because it is unused is stored in the thermal transfer type color recording apparatus. In order to reset the ink layer, the color ink medium 1' is rewound relative to the sensor S to the leading position of the stored barcode C. At this time, the barcode C' of the ink layer in the set state is also stored before the color ink medium 1' is rewound, and the stored barcode C' is It is also possible to take a means to reset the original ink layer by sending the color ink medium 1' to the leading position.

However, by adopting such a means of rewinding the ink layer that has been idly fed, the ink layer that has been idly fed as unused in a certain recording block can be reused when recording one page in another recording block. This makes it possible to eliminate wasteful consumption of the color ink medium 1'.

Specifically, the color ink medium, determination of the color type of the ink layer in the body 1', control of re-reading when the barcode cannot be read, and control of storing and resetting the barcode C in the ink layer that has been idly fed. , storage of the barcode C' of the original ink layer at the time of resetting and control of its reset are respectively executed by the system controller in the thermal transfer type color recording apparatus.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of a thermal transfer type color recording device for concretely carrying out the present invention, in which a recording head 3 and a platen 4 are provided with recording elements for one line in the main scanning direction. The sheet-shaped color ink medium 1' and the recording paper 2 are brought into pressure contact between the recording head 3 and the recording paper 2 to perform thermal transfer sequentially while being fed in the sub-scanning direction. A sensor S is provided to detect the barcode C printed on the color ink medium 1', and the system controller 5 reads the sensor output via the amplifier AMP to determine the type of color of each ink layer in the color ink medium 1' and determine the barcode. Rereading when unreadable and resetting the ink layer that has been skipped, resetting the original ink layer
It is designed to perform various controls. Also, one line of recording data for each color that is sequentially sent from the host machine is read into the system controller 5 via the interface 7, and after being temporarily stored in the sofa memory 8, the system controller 1- Under the control of the rollers 5, the accumulated data for each line is given to the head driver 9 to drive the recording head 3, and in synchronization with this, it is sent to the motor driver 10 for driving the print head and the latin 4. The motor 11 is driven. Furthermore, when the barcode C is reread or when the ink layer that has been idly fed is reloaded, the system controller 5 gives a command to rewind the color ink medium 1' to the motor driver 12. A motor 13 for rewinding the medium 1' is driven as appropriate.

However, in the device configured in this way, the system controller 5 detects the color surface of the color ink medium 1' when the power is turned on or at an appropriate timing, and detects the ink layer portion having a predetermined type of color. The feeding of the color ink medium 1' is controlled so that the color ink medium 1' comes to the recording position to perform recording in a predetermined color. At this time, since the state of the color plane is detected for each ink layer of the color ink medium 1', there is no possibility of recording with the wrong color plane. Furthermore, when printing is performed regardless of the color order, printing can be started from the color surface of the ink layer closest to the print head 3,
It becomes possible to quickly and randomly initialize the color ink medium 1'. In addition, even if the color ink medium 1' is initially set when the color order of thermal transfer is determined, if an ink layer with a predetermined color surface is detected at the recording position when the power is turned on, the color There is no need to perform initial settings while feeding the ink medium 1', and printing can be started immediately.

The recording head 3 is a thermal head in the case of a direct heating type, and a multi-needle electrode in the case of an electric heating type (the film base of the ink medium is made conductive to utilize the Joule heat). and a return electrode. Alternatively, without using the recording head 3, the color ink medium B may be irradiated with a laser beam modulated according to the image information, and the thermal energy thereof may be used to perform thermal transfer.

Further, in the color surface detection method for color ink media according to the present invention, a ribbon-shaped color ink medium and a recording head are mounted on a carriage, and the carriage is conveyed in the main scanning direction to feed the color ink medium while performing sub-scanning. It goes without saying that the present invention can be similarly applied to a serial printer in which thermal transfer recording is performed sequentially for each line on a fed recording sheet.

EXAMPLE As described above, in the color plane detection method for a color ink medium according to the present invention, barcodes attached outside the recording area according to each ink layer of the color ink medium are detected by a sensor as they move. In addition, when a detection error occurs, the barcode is re-detected and the type of color of each ink layer is determined based on the code content. It has the excellent advantage of allowing surface detection to be performed easily and reliably. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it becomes possible to easily reset the ink layer that has been idly fed when performing color surface detection of the color ink medium, thereby eliminating wasteful consumption of the color ink medium. It also has the advantage of being able to

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a color ink medium and a sensor for implementing the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of a barcode attached to the color ink medium, and FIG. A diagram showing the contents of each barcode in each recording block, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a thermal transfer type color recording device for concretely implementing the present invention, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are 1A and 1B are diagrams respectively showing conventional color ink media. ], 1'... Color ink medium 2... Recording paper 3.
・Recording head 4...Platen cl, C2, C3
゜C4...Barcode S/Sensor applicant Kiyoshi Torii

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A marker 1 for identifying the color type of each color ink layer at the edge of a color ink medium of a thermal transfer type color recording device.
- is attached to each ink layer, and a sensor is provided to sequentially detect the barcode as the color ink medium moves, and a means for reading the content of the barcode based on the sensor output and determining the color type of each ink layer is provided. A method for detecting a color surface of a color ink medium, which includes a means for rewinding the color ink medium to the head position of the bar code and re-detecting the bar code when the bar code becomes unreadable. 2. A bar code is attached to the edge of the color ink medium of the thermal transfer type color recording device to identify the color type and order of each color ink layer, and a sensor is installed to sequentially detect the bar code as the color ink medium moves. There is a means to read the contents of the barcode using the sensor output and determine the color type of each ink layer, and a means to memorize the barcode of the unused color ink layer and use it when necessary. A means for rewinding the color ink medium 4 to the beginning position of the code and a color plane detection method for the color ink medium that is clear.