JPS6041376B2 - terminal printer device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a device that receives information signals transmitted from an information center via a cable or the like and prints out the information, and displays an easy-to-understand display to indicate whether or not the receiving operation is being performed normally. The purpose is to provide a device that can perform the following tasks.

Recently, an information center and many terminal printers are connected through transmission lines such as cables, and the information center sends out information signals addressed to each terminal in chronological order with a terminal identification signal attached, and the terminal side A system has been developed that prints out the information content when receiving an information signal attached with its own terminal identification signal or a simultaneous signal for all terminals.

In such a system, each terminal printer is always in a standby state because it does not know when the information signal addressed to the station will be sent, but if information is not printed out for a long time, it is unlikely that the terminal printer will actually be able to print out the printer automatically. Either the information signal addressed to the station is not being sent, or the terminal is off even though it is being sent. There is an inconvenience in that it is not possible to determine whether the received printout operation is not possible because the IJ printer is out of order. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device that can easily display whether or not a terminal printer is out of order by eliminating the drawbacks of this conventional system. For this reason,
In the system according to the present invention, a test signal for terminal testing is sent at regular intervals during the transmission of information signals. This test signal may be a simultaneous signal for all terminals, or may be a signal attached with a terminal identification signal addressed to each terminal. The transmission interval of the test signal needs to be long enough not to adversely affect the transmission of the information signal, and short enough not to cause a failure in the terminal printer to be discovered too late. For example, if the transmission speed of the information signal is 120P, the number of dots per character is 15 dots x 18 dots vertically, and one technique is printed out per line, then Since the time required for transmission is about 4 seconds, it is appropriate to transmit the test signal for 1 second at 15 minute intervals, for example. Although the content of the test signal may be arbitrary, it is assumed here that a specific code signal that is a test signal addressed to one of the terminal printers is transmitted. Next, the configuration of the terminal printer device used in this system will be explained using drawings.

In the figure, 1 is a transmission line such as a cable through which information signals from an information center are sent, and this information signal is received by a receiving circuit 1 that includes an interface, etc., and subjected to waveform processing.
The signal is converted into a value signal and then transmitted to the signal processing circuit 2. The signal processing circuit 2 uses a microcomputer or the like to interpret the received signal and determines when an information signal containing a terminal identification signal indicating the terminal in question is sent, or when a signal containing a signal indicating all terminals at once is sent. When an information signal is sent,
The information data is received and stored in the memory 3, and the printer 5 is put into a printing state. The received data is once written into the memory 3, then read out and supplied to the printer 5 via the buffer circuit 4, where character or graphic information is printed on printing paper and printed out. Next, a test signal with a simultaneous signal from all terminals is sent, and when this is received,
The signal processing circuit 2 first detects a simultaneous signal from all terminals and generates a reception control output. On the other hand, during normal information signal transmission, a data signal is transmitted immediately after the terminal identification signal or terminal simultaneous signal, and when it is a test signal, 2 to 3
If the period of no signal is determined to be longer than 1 second, the signal processing circuit 2 will generate a test detection output in which a test signal is detected. These receive control outputs and test detection outputs are applied to an AND gate 6, which outputs an output only when both outputs are generated, thereby clearing a counter 7. The duration of the output signal of the AND gate 6 is made to be approximately less than one second, after which the flip-flop 8 is set in green. For example, a 16-bit counter is used as the count 7, and a tupple signal obtained from an AC power source is added to it. In that case, an output is generated when six 50Hz or 60Hz ripple signals are counted after clearing, and the output is output to the flip-flop 8. is reset. The time required for this counting is approximately 18 minutes in the case of 60Hz and approximately 22 minutes in the case of 50Hz. On the other hand, as mentioned above, the test signal is transmitted every 15 to 16 minutes, so if this test signal is correctly received, the test detection output will be generated every 15 to 16 minutes. The counter 7 is cleared with sufficient margin before the flip-flop 8 is reset by the count output from the counter 7, and the flip-flop 8 is maintained in the set state. Therefore, if the reception operation is performed normally, the Q output of the flip-flop 8 remains at a low level, and the light emitting diode 9 for indicating normal operation continues to be lit. The first resistor is a protective resistor for the light emitting diode 9.

However, if the signal processing circuit 2 stops operating normally and malfunctions for some reason, the reception control output or test detection output is no longer generated, and in that case, the output from the counter 7 after 18 to 22 minutes is Flip-flop 8 is reset and the Q output becomes high level. Therefore, as a result, the light emitting diode 9 is no longer lit, indicating that the signal processing circuit 2 has failed. Therefore, the user can immediately know whether or not the receiving operation is being performed normally just by looking at the lighting state of the light emitting diode 9, and in the event of a failure, the user can promptly take measures such as repairs, and can take necessary measures. This eliminates the risk of failure to receive information over a long period of time.

Note that the test signal to be transmitted and its detection method are not limited to those described above, and any method that provides similar effects may be appropriately selected and used. As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a convenient device that can easily understand the failure status of a terminal printer device by receiving and displaying a test signal transmitted from an information center. It is something that can be done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a block diagram of a terminal printer device in one embodiment of the present invention. 1... Receiving circuit, 2... Signal processing circuit, 3... Memory, 4... Buffer circuit, 5... Printer, 6...・AND gate, 7...
...Counter, 8...Flip-flop, 9...
Light emitting diode, 10... Resistor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Receives a test signal that is inserted into the information signal and transmitted at regular intervals T, identifies it in a signal processing circuit that controls the printer according to the information signal, and operates the flip-flop in response to the test signal. At the same time, an output for driving the flip-flop is generated, and an output for setting a timer whose time constant is greater than T for resetting based on the state of the flip-flop is generated at the same time.During normal operation, the flip-flop maintains the output in a constant state. , when the flip-flop is not normal, the flip-flop is reset by the output of the timer to generate an output of another state, and the output of the flip-flop indicates whether or not the receiving operation is normal. .