JPS62105667A - Printing processing system for dot matrix printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively perform a skipp printing operation between spaces when the spaces are continued for more than the predetermined value by providing print processing means for skipping the spaces of the predetermined number to print when printing a dot pattern stored in a print buffer memory on the basis of a new print block data stored in memory means. CONSTITUTION:CPU 11 forms a character code row of one line to be printed, and decides a print block necessary for a printing operation from the code row. At this time, the number (n) of the print blocks is stored in a register 15. Pattern developing means 12 develops a dot pattern corresponding to the character code row of one line formed by CPU 1 in a line buffer 13 on the base of the stored contents of registers 15, 16. A printer 14 dot prints the dot pattern corresponding to the print blocks 1, 2, and skips in the space except this.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a print processing method for a dot matrix printer having a skip printing function that skips and prints when spaces in one line are continuous.

[Technical Background of the Invention and Problems thereof] Conventionally, printers having a skip printing function have been developed as dot matrix printers used in document creation devices and the like. A printer with a skip printing function will interrupt the printing operation between the spaces and skip to the next character to be printed if there are consecutive spaces in the print information in one line to be printed. Do the action.

In such printers, the printing operation is interrupted between spaces, making it possible to move the print head at high speed. Further, if applied to a thermal transfer printer, winding of the thermal transfer ink ribbon is stopped between spaces, thereby making it possible to save the thermal transfer ink ribbon.

However, for example, when characters are enlarged and printed, the skip printing operation is not performed in the space created by enlarging the characters. This is because the skip printing operation control is executed by determining whether or not space codes exist consecutively, depending on the content of the character code of the print information. For this reason, even if the skip printing operation is executed in the character enlargement printing mode or the like, problems such as a decrease in printing speed and waste of thermal transfer ink ribbon occur.

[Object of the Invention] The object of the present invention is to reliably perform a skip printing operation that skips between spaces even in character enlargement printing mode, etc., when spaces are continuous for a certain amount or more in the actual printing state. The object of the present invention is to provide a print processing method for a dot matrix printer that can perform printing.

[Summary of the Invention] The present invention provides a first print block setting means for obtaining print block data consisting of character codes other than spaces in character information for one line, and a first print block setting means for obtaining new print block data from a dot pattern for one line. It is equipped with two printing block setting means. The print processing means is configured to perform a skip printing operation based on the new print block data obtained by the second print block setting means.

With such a configuration, in the character enlargement printing mode, if spaces generated by character enlargement are continuous for a certain period or more, it is possible to perform a skip printing operation in which the spaces are skipped.

[Embodiment of the Invention] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure is a block diagram showing the configuration of a print processing system according to an embodiment. In FIG. 1, CP[J11 is a microprocessor that controls printing processing. The pattern development means 12 is a
This circuit develops one line's worth of dot patterns in the line buffer 13 in accordance with the line's worth of character code strings. A serial dot printer (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) 14 performs a skip printing operation in accordance with the dot pattern stored in the line buffer 13.

Register 15 contains data n of the number of print blocks consisting of consecutive character codes that require printing operation in one line of character information.
Remember. The register 16 stores start columns $1 to 3n and end columns E1 to Eo of each print block in one line of character information.

Registers 17 to 23 are registers necessary for print block creation processing. The register 24 stores each start column T1 to Tn and end column F1 to Fn of the newly created new print block.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. First, the CP LJ 11 creates a character code string (including a space code) for one line to be printed, and determines a print block necessary for the printing operation from this character code string. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 11 determines the start columns S1 and S2 and the end columns E1 and E2 of each print block 1 and 2 and stores them in the register 16. At this time, the number n of print blocks is stored in the register 15. The pattern development means 12 has a register 15.
16, a dot pattern corresponding to one line of character code string created by the CPU 11 is developed in the line buffer 13. The printer 14 executes a printing operation according to the dot pattern in the line buffer 13. That is, the printer 14 performs a skip printing operation in which the dot patterns corresponding to print blocks 1 and 2 shown in FIG. 3 are printed in dots, and other spaces are skipped.

In such a basic operation, for example, when each character of a character code string for one line as shown in FIG. 4 is enlarged twice in height and width and printed, the CPU 11 performs the operations as shown in the flowchart in FIG. Perform the action. First, the pattern developing means 12 stores an enlarged dot pattern corresponding to the character code string shown in FIG. 4 in the line buffer 13, as shown in FIG. That is, the line buffer 13 sequentially stores the upper half and lower half of the enlarged dot pattern. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper half of each comma and period pattern in each print block 1.2 becomes a space.

The CPU 11 runs the dot pattern developed in the line buffer 13 as shown in FIG. 5, and creates a new print block with spaces removed according to the flow chart of FIG. Here, in the flowchart of FIG. 2, Si is the start column of the i-th print block, Ei
indicates its ending column. Further, 1a indicates the contents of the a-th column of the line buffer 13 (the space is O). Furthermore, α indicates the minimum space width (column) when skipping.

In the processing of steps 81 to S5, the CP Ll 11 performs the following steps.
Performs processing to delete spaces at the beginning of a print block. That is, in step S2, the starting column of Si is stored in the register 19 as the a column. Further, the number of columns of the print block is stored in the register 20 as the number of columns C. In step S4, it is determined whether the character code in column a of the line buffer 13 is a space code.

If a character code other than a space is detected in the determination process of step S4, the CPU 11 performs steps 812 to S1.
Proceed to step 5. In the processing of steps 812 to S15, the CPU 11 scans the space within the i-th print block. Here, as shown in step 812, the CP Ll 11 stores the new starting column Tj with the spaces removed in the register 24. Furthermore, C.P.
U11 scans character codes other than spaces in the print block in the processing of steps 817 to $20. When the character code is detected, CP Ll 11 performs step 8
By the determination process in step 22, the space within the print block is α
If it is above, the print block is distinguished. As shown in step S23, CPLIfl stores in the register 24 a value obtained by subtracting a column corresponding to the space from the end column Ei of the previous print block as a new end column Fj.

Through such processing, the CPU 11
A dot pattern as shown in FIG. 5 stored in the buffer 13 is scanned, and new print blocks 1.2 are created by removing spaces larger than a certain force ram in each print block 1, 2. That is, the CPU 11, as shown in FIG.
The start column Tj and end column Fj corresponding to the new print block 1.2 are stored in the register 24. Furthermore, as shown in step 810, the CPU 11 registers the register 2
The start column Tj and end column Fj in 4 are stored in the register 16 as new start column Sn and end column En. As a result, the printer 14 registers 16
Based on the stored contents, a dot pattern corresponding to the print block 1.2 stored in the line buffer 13 as shown in FIG. 6 is printed. That is, the printer 14
In the enlarged dot pattern corresponding to the character code string shown in the figure, the upper half spaces of each comma and period pattern are skipped, and the character pattern of each print block 1.2 is printed.

In this way, when a print block is created so that the space width of consecutive space codes is skipped and printed in a character code string for one line, a new print block is created again by scanning the dot pattern. . As a result, when a character is enlarged and printed, if the space generated by the enlargement is equal to or larger than a predetermined width, it is possible to execute a printing operation that also skips that space.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, in a dot matrix printer that performs a skip printing operation, in addition to the case where space codes are consecutive in a character code string of one line, when in character enlargement printing mode, etc. However, if a certain number of consecutive spaces occur in an actual printing state, a skip printing operation that skips between the spaces can be performed.

Therefore, even in the character enlargement mode, unnecessary printing operations for spaces can be prevented, and an efficient skip printing operation can be realized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a print processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment, and Figs. 3 to 6 are respectively the same embodiment. FIG. 11... CPU, 12... Pattern development means, 13
...Line buffer, 14...Printer, 24...
·register. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a dot matrix printer equipped with a print buffer memory that stores dot patterns corresponding to one line of character information, the one line of character information is distinguished into space codes and other character codes. a first print block setting means for determining the number of print blocks consisting of consecutive characters other than space codes, and print block data consisting of each start column and end column of each print block; scanning a dot pattern developed in the print buffer memory corresponding to each print block data stored in the memory means;
A second method for detecting new print blocks by removing spaces from each print block, obtaining new print block data consisting of the number thereof and each start column and end column of each new print block, and storing the new print block data in the memory means. a print block setting means; the second print block setting means skips a predetermined number of spaces when printing the dot pattern stored in the print buffer memory based on the new print block data stored in the memory means; 1. A print processing method for a dot matrix printer, characterized by comprising a print processing means for printing.