JPS61274954A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the printing of an enlarged character without performing paper feed to a reverse direction, by mounting a mechanism for feeding paper so as to perform printing at three positions from an upper part when the printing of one line is performed. CONSTITUTION:When a command analyzing part 11 receives a command for enlarging the upper half part of a character pattern in a longitudinal direction from a computer through an interface part 10, said analyzing part 11 performs the indication of said command to a longitudinal direction enlarging part 13 and, subsequently, when said analyzing part 11 receives a character code, the enlarged pattern of the upper half part 4a of a character pattern is formed to an image buffer 15 by a code pattern development part 12 and the longitudinal enlarging part 13. A printing mechanism 16 performs printing to paper on the basis of said enlarged pattern. Next, the paper is set to a second position by a paper feed mechanism 14 and the pattern corresponding to the character code of the character having a usual size among the printed characters of one line is generated and printing is performed on the basis of said pattern and, thereafter, the paper is set to a third position and the pattern corresponding to the character code of the enlarged character in the printed characters of one line is generated and the lower half thereof is enlarged and printing is performed on the basis of the enlarged pattern.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a printing method that uses a serial dot printer to process character code data and print enlarged characters along with characters of a predetermined size.

[Technical Background of the Invention] Conventionally, when printing characters enlarged in the vertical direction using a serial dot matrix printer, for example, when printing an enlarged character rAJ as shown in FIG. 3, this printing is performed as follows. It was being done. First, the upper half 1a of the character pattern is printed based on the enlarged pattern, then the paper is fed in the forward direction, and the lower half 1b of the character pattern is printed.
The paper is automatically printed based on the enlarged pattern, and then the paper is fed in the opposite direction to return the paper to the position where normal characters are printed. Therefore, when printing multiple characters including normal characters and enlarged characters, for example, rAJ rBJ "
When expanding rBJ among the three letters consisting of CJ,
The printing was performed in the following steps. First, the character pattern 2a of the normal character rAJ is printed at a predetermined position, then the paper is fed in the reverse direction, the upper half 2b of the character pattern rBJ is enlarged, and after printing based on this pattern, the paper is fed in the forward direction. The lower half 2C of the character pattern l-B J is enlarged and printed based on this pattern.Finally, the paper is fed in the opposite direction, and the character pattern 2d of the character "C" is printed as a normal character. It was printed in the correct position.

[Problems with Background Art] When printing is performed using this method, if a plurality of characters including characters to be enlarged are to be printed in one line, the paper must be fed in the opposite direction. Therefore, in the past, serial dot printers without a reverse paper feeding function were unable to print a plurality of characters, including characters enlarged in the vertical direction, in one line.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a serial dot printer that can print enlarged characters without feeding the paper in the reverse direction, and in which it is not possible to feed the paper in the reverse direction. The purpose is to make it possible to print enlarged characters even in .

[Summary of the Invention] Accordingly, the present invention provides a paper feed mechanism that feeds paper so that when printing one line, printing can be performed at three positions, first, second, and third from the top of this one line. Using a serial dot printer equipped with the above-mentioned paper feed mechanism, the paper is placed in the first position, a pattern corresponding to the character code of the character to be enlarged is generated from among the characters to be printed in one line, and the pattern is printed on top of this pattern. After enlarging half of the paper in the vertical direction and printing based on this enlarged pattern, the paper is moved to the second position by the paper feed mechanism, and the paper is moved to the normal size of the characters to be printed for one line. After generating a pattern corresponding to the character code of the character to be printed and printing based on this pattern, the paper is moved to the third position by the paper feed mechanism and the character code for one line to be printed is moved to the third position. A pattern corresponding to the character code of the character to be enlarged inside is generated, the lower half of this pattern is enlarged in the vertical direction, and printing is performed based on this enlarged pattern.

[Embodiments of the invention] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a serial dot matrix printer used to implement the method of the present invention. In the figure, 10 is an interface unit (I/F) for exchanging signals with a host computer (not shown).

A command analysis section 11 is connected to the interface section 10. The command analysis section 11 analyzes data given from the host computer via the interface section 10 and converts necessary signals into a code pattern development section 12,
It outputs to the vertical direction enlarging section 13 and the paper feeding mechanism 14, respectively. The code pattern development section 12 develops a pattern corresponding to the character code given from the command analysis section 11 into the image buffer 15.

The vertical enlargement section 13 converts the pattern developed in the image buffer 15 into a vertically enlarged pattern according to the signal given from the command analysis section 11. 16 is a printing mechanism. The printing mechanism 16 performs printing based on the pattern on the image buffer 15. The paper feed mechanism 14 moves this one line when printing one line.
This is a mechanism for feeding paper so that printing can be performed at three positions, first, second, and third from the top of the line.

An example in which the method of the present invention is applied to a serial dot matrix printer configured as described above will be explained with reference to FIG. In this example, it is assumed that the second character rBJ among three characters consisting of characters rAJ rBJrCJ is enlarged in the vertical direction, and the other characters rAJ and "C" are printed in one line in normal size. Initially, it is assumed that the paper is in the first position described above in the line where printing is to be performed.

First, when the command analysis unit 11 receives a command to vertically enlarge the upper half of a character pattern from the host computer via the interface unit 10, it recognizes this and sends the vertical enlargement unit 13 to specify the command. Do the following. next,
When the command analysis section 11 receives the character code of the character rBJ from the host computer via the interface section 10, the upper half 4a of the pattern of the character rBJ is stored in the image buffer 15 by the code pattern expansion section 12 and the vertical expansion section 13. Create an enlarged pattern. The printing mechanism 16 prints on the paper based on this pattern.

Next, when the command analysis unit 11 receives a command to feed the paper from the host computer via the interface unit 10, it recognizes this and starts the paper feeding mechanism 14.
carry out the instructions. As a result, the paper feed mechanism 14
The paper is moved and stopped at the second position described above.

Next, when the command analysis section 11 receives a command to cancel the vertical enlargement from the host computer via the interface section 10, it recognizes this and instructs the vertical enlargement section 13 to do so.

Next, when the command analysis section 11 receives the character codes of characters rAJ and rCJ from the host computer via the interface section 10, the code pattern expansion section 12 stores the respective character patterns 4b and 4C in the image buffer 15.
to be created. The printing mechanism 16 prints these character patterns 4
Printing is performed at the second position described above based on b and 4C.

Next, when the command analysis unit 11 receives a command to feed paper from the host computer via the interface unit 10, it recognizes this and moves the paper feeding mechanism 1 to
Give the instructions in step 4. As a result, the paper feed mechanism 14 moves the paper and stops it at the third position described above.

Next, when the command analysis section 11 receives a command to vertically enlarge the lower half of the character pattern from the host computer via the interface section 10, it recognizes this and causes the vertical enlargement section 13 to enlarge the lower half of the character pattern vertically. Make the specification. next,
When the command analysis section 11 receives the character code of the character rBJ from the host computer via the interface section 10, it processes the code pattern development section 12 and the vertical expansion section 13.
This causes the image buffer 15 to create an enlarged pattern of the lower half 4d of the pattern of the character rBJ. The printing mechanism 16 prints on the paper based on this pattern.

By doing the above, even if the paper feeding mechanism 16 does not have a reverse paper feeding function, the character rBJ to be enlarged vertically can be printed while being enlarged vertically, as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, one character to be enlarged vertically is printed separately into an upper half and a lower half, but each of two different characters is divided into an upper half and a lower half, and one upper half is printed. It is also possible to print a combination of a vertically enlarged image and a vertically enlarged image of the other lower half. Furthermore, regarding the magnification of enlargement, the upper and lower portions may be enlarged with the same magnification as in this embodiment, or the upper and lower portions may be enlarged with different magnifications.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to print a mixture of enlarged characters and normal characters without providing the printing mechanism of a serial dot printer with a reverse paper feeding function.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the configuration of a serial dot matrix printer used to implement the method of the present invention.
The figure is an explanatory diagram of the printing method of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams of the conventional printing method. 11... Command analysis section 12... Code pattern development section 13... Vertical enlargement section 14... Paper feed mechanism 15... Image buffer 16... Printing mechanism

Claims (1)

[Claims] When printing one line, the first,
Using a serial dot printer equipped with a paper feed mechanism that feeds paper so that it can print in three positions: second and third, it consists of characters to be enlarged vertically and characters to be printed in normal size. In a printing method in which character code data of a plurality of characters are processed and printed, the paper is moved to the first position by the paper feed mechanism, and the paper is moved to the first position.
A pattern corresponding to the character code of the character to be enlarged among the characters to be printed for a line is generated, the upper half of this pattern is enlarged in the vertical direction, and printing is performed based on this enlarged pattern, and then the paper is fed. Driving the mechanism to move the paper to the second position and generating a pattern corresponding to the character code of the character to be printed in a normal size among the characters to be printed for the one line; After performing printing based on the above, the paper feed mechanism is driven to move the paper to the third position and correspond to the character code of the character to be enlarged among the characters to be printed for the one line. A printing method that generates a pattern, expands the lower half of this pattern in the vertical direction, and prints based on this expanded pattern.