JPS62118428A - Terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To cope with the multi-functioning of a terminal equipment by adding the switching function to switch the priority sequence of an operation instruction and the control instruction by an operating switch. CONSTITUTION:A resetting generating device 25 generates a resetting signal at the time of starting to turn on the electric power source. For example, while a switch 8 is depressed, the electric power source is turned on and started, and then, the resetting signal is generated by the generating device 25 and a CPU22 is reset. After releasing the resetting, the presence and the absence of an operating instruction by the switch 8 are discriminated by the CPU22. As the result, the operating instruction by the switch 8 is priority-set, for example, the setting by the switch 8 is an LQ setting 10, only the operating instruction of the setting takes the priority over other control instruction. Thus, since the priority order is changed over, the multifunction of the terminal equipment can be copeed with.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer controlled by a control command based on a control code output from a host computer;
Regarding terminal equipment such as plotters.

Prior Art of the Invention Terminal devices used in connection with a host computer are controlled by operation commands from an operation switch provided on the terminal device or by control commands from a control code output by the computer. Along with the diversification, the instructions are also diversifying, so even if a certain operating condition is set by the operating instruction after the device is started, the operating condition may be changed later by a reset instruction, which is a type of control instruction. There are many cases where the device is changed and some users are unable to use the device under the desired conditions. To deal with this, an operation switch is installed on the operation panel to switch the priority between the control command and the operation command. Or, the DIP switch that performs this switching is mounted on a component mounting board built into the device, but as the setting parameters increase and the number of elements is required, the number of components increases and the mounting board is also large. This has drawbacks such as increased manufacturing cost due to reduced size, and furthermore, when a DIP switch is used, it has drawbacks such as poor operability and difficulty in setting due to its small size.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention has been made in view of the above drawbacks, and has a function of switching functions to switch the priority of the control command and the operation command, which are commands for controlling the terminal equipment. This allows terminal devices to become more multi-functional without the need for a function changeover switch, allowing users to set conditions for a wide variety of functions with simple operations, and allowing the electronic component mounting board to be miniaturized, resulting in a terminal device that is inexpensive to manufacture. The purpose is to provide

Embodiments of the Invention The present invention will be explained below based on embodiments. Fig. 1 shows the operation panel of a printer which is an embodiment of the invention. 1 indicates POWER, and 2 indicates that paper is out. 3 is the FORM LENGTH switch that sets the paper length, and 4 is the TYPE STYLE switch that sets the type style. Character type font 1), F2 mode 7 (other character type font 2) 8 is the QUALITY switch that sets the character printing quality, 9 is DRAFT mode, 10 is LQ mode (LETTERQUALITY)
11 is PRINT to set the print pitch
PITCH switch 12 is PROP mode (PROP
OTIONAL), 13 is 136 mode, 14 is 163 mode
mode, 15 is the 222 mode, 16 is the [TOF OF FORM] switch for starting the paper, 17 is the PAPER FEED switch for feeding the paper, 18 is the online switch for switching between online and offline, and 19 is the corresponding This display lights up when the switch is in online mode. FIG. 2 shows a part of the circuit diagram of the operation panel in FIG. 1, in which 20 is a host computer, 21 is an interface (I/F) for exchanging control commands such as control codes with the computer; 22 is a CP for controlling the interface 21, input/output device (I/O) 23, etc.
U, 23 is TYPESTYL under the control of CPU 22.
E switch 4, QUALITY switch 8, PRINT
Input of operation commands using operation switches such as the PITCH switch 11 and the TOF switch 16 and the corresponding TYPE S
Each mode display of STD mode 5, F1 mode 6 and F2 mode 7, which are set sequentially by TYLE switch 4,
DRAFT set sequentially by ALITY switch 8
Each mode display of mode 9 and LQ mode 10, PRINT
PRO set sequentially by PITCH switch 11
P mode 12 and 136 mode 13 and 163 mode 14 and 222 mode 15 An input/output device (I/O) for outputting display information to a display device that displays mode 15, etc. 24 is an operating program RO memorized
M, 25 is a reset generator that generates a reset signal at startup when the power switch is turned on; for example, QUAL.
When the power is turned on while pressing the ITY switch 8 and the printer is started, a reset signal is generated from the reset generator 25 to reset the CPU 22. After the reset is released, the CPU 22 determines whether or not there is an operation command from the switch, and the result is determined. , the switch is turned on,
In addition, if the mode set by the switch is LQ mode 10, only the operation command for this mode has the highest priority over other control commands, and if it is not input, the operation command and the control command are in an equal relationship. The priority order is switched in such a way that the

FIG. 3 is a table showing an example of combinations of operation switches and corresponding functions for switching the priority order, and 31 indicates a combination of the TOF switch 16 or the TYPE STYLE switch and the QUALI--T switch at startup.
PANEL set when three Y switch 8 and PRINT PITCH switch 11 are turned on at the same time
MODE is the setting state set by each of these three switches, for example, if this switch is set to STD mode 5, this switch 8 is set to LQ mode 10, and this switch 11 is set to 222 mode 15, each mode The display blinks, and ESC K1 and ESCK2 other than ESC K■, which are control commands corresponding to the mode,
and ESC X0 and ESC other than ESC X1
SI and non-SI ESC P1 and ESC P and E
SC_M or ESC_a shall be ignored.

32 is the PANTEL STYLE that is set when the TYPE STYLE switch 4 is turned on at startup.
If the setting state set by the switch in MODE is set, for example STD mode 5, the display for that mode will blink, and the control commands corresponding to that mode, ESC K1 and ESC other than ESC K■, will be displayed. K2 or ESC(a) is ignored. 33 is QU at startup
PANTEL QUALITYMODE is set when the ALITY switch is turned on, and the setting state set by the switch, for example, DRAFT mode 9.
If the mode is set, the display for that mode will blink, and any control commands corresponding to the mode, such as ESCX1 or ESC(a) other than ESC X0, will be ignored. 3
4 is set when the PRINTPITCH switch 11 is turned on at startup. PANTEL PITC
H MODE, if the setting state set by the switch, for example PROP mode 12, is set, the display of that mode will blink, and ESC P and ESC other than ESC P1, which are control commands corresponding to the mode, will flash. M and ESC SI or ESC(a) are ignored. 3
5 is the TYPE STYLE switch 4 and QUA at startup
PANEL STYLE AND QUALI set when LITY switch 8 is turned on at the same time
If TYMODE is set by these switches, for example, F2 mode 7 and LQ mode 10, the display for that mode will blink, and the ESC other than ESCK2, which is the control command corresponding to that mode, will flash.
K0 and ESC K1 and ESC ESC other than X1
X0 or ESC(a) is ignored. 36 is the TYPESTYLE switch 4 and PRINT PI at startup
PANEL STYLE AND PITCH is set when TCH switch 11 is turned on at the same time.
If MODE is set to the setting status set by these switches, for example, F1 mode and 136 mode 13, the display of that mode will blink, and ESC K and ESC other than ESC K1 corresponding to that mode will flash.
K2 and ESC P1 and ESC other than P
M and ESC SI and SI or ESC(a) control commands are ignored. 37 is PANEL QUALIT which is set when the QUALITY switch and PRINT PITCH switch are turned on at the same time at startup.
In YAND PITCH MODE, if the setting state set by these switches, for example LQ mode 10 and 222 mode 15, is set, the display of the mode will blink, and the ES which is the control command corresponding to the mode will flash.
C ESC other than X1 X0 and ESC SI and SI
ESC P1, ESC P, ESC M or ESC(a) other than ESC P1, ESC P and ESC M are ignored. 38 is TOF switch 16, TYPESTYLE switch 4, QUALI at startup
STANDAR set when TY switch 8 and PRINTPITCH switch 11 are not all turned on
D MODE: In this mode, the operating command and the control command are in an equal relationship; for example, when an ESC (a) command, which is a reset command by a control code, comes, the operating command returns to the initialized mode. It is something that will happen.

FIG. 4 shows combinations of operation switches related to function switching based on priority in FIG. 3, corresponding functions, and a flowchart. FIG. 5 is a table showing the types of control commands and operation commands used in this embodiment and the correspondence between the commands. Note that in this embodiment, the TOF switch 11, T
YPE STYLE switch 12, MODE switch 1
3. Switching between the panel mode and the standard mode is performed by combining the switches of the PRINT PITCH switch 14, but the combination method, priority setting method, and switching method are arbitrary.

Further, although this embodiment describes a printer, the present invention can also be applied to other terminal equipment such as a plotter.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, a power switch can be included in the terminal equipment as an operating means adapted to the multi-functionalization of the terminal equipment, without adding a new operating switch such as a DIP switch or increasing the number of such switches. By adding a switching function to switch the priority order between operation commands and control commands using a combination of existing operation switches, the operability of the terminal device can be improved and multi-functional switching can be performed, and the mounting of electronic components can be improved. This has the advantage of being able to miniaturize the board and provide terminal equipment with low manufacturing costs.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an operation panel of a printer that is an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the panel, FIG. 3 is a table of examples of combinations of operation switches and their corresponding functions, and FIG. The figure is a flowchart based on the table, and FIG. 5 is a correspondence table between control commands and operation commands. 1...POWER display 4...TYPE STYL
E switch 11...PRINT PITCH switch 8...QUALITY switch 16...TOF switch

Claims (1)

[Claims] A terminal device used in conjunction with a host computer that generates a reset signal to reset the electronic circuit of the device when started, and a control command based on a control code output by the computer or an operation switch provided on the terminal device. In the terminal device, the terminal device has a control means that is controlled by an operation command, and a determination means for determining the presence or absence of the operation command when the reset signal is generated, and a determination result by the determination means that determines whether the control command and the operation command are present. 1. A terminal device comprising a switching means for switching the priority order of the terminal equipment.