JPS626520B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a barcode printer that uses barcodes to issue product labels and, if necessary, issues test labels for testing its print function. The present invention relates to a barcode printer testing method that allows easy determination of functional quality.

Labels on which product information (product information such as product code number and price) is printed using barcodes are affixed to the surface of products sold at self-service stores, for example.
The barcode is marked by running the product with the affixed label facing the reading surface provided on the top of the barcode reader. Spaces (shading) are read optically, and product information such as the code number and price of the same product can be obtained from the reading results.

The label shown in FIG. 1 is an example of the label described above. In this figure, label 1 includes product name field 2, unit price field 3, weight field 4, code number field 5,
Columns such as a price column 6 are provided, as well as a barcode column 7. In this barcode column 7, the code number and price of the product are printed using a barcode ( Product information based on this barcode is indicated by reference numeral 10).

Product information 10 using barcodes as described above
As shown in Fig. 2, a printer for printing a label paper 1' (label 1 is a label paper 1' with product information printed on it) in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction A. A large number of dot-shaped print heads 20, 20 arranged in a row...
It is a dot-type printer equipped with ..., and as the label paper 1' is fed, only the print heads 20, 20, ... corresponding to the mark portions 10a, 10a, ... of the bar code to be printed are operated. The mark portions 10a, 10a, . . . are printed, and the mark portions 10a, 10a, . . . and the unprinted space portions 10b, 10 are
A bar code is recorded by b, . . . Note that such a printer may be of any type, such as a thermal type, an electric discharge breakdown type, a wire dot type, an ink jet type, etc., as long as it is a dot type that uses dot-shaped print heads arranged as described above.

The product information 10 based on the barcode printed in this way is obtained by placing the label 1 facing the reading surface of the above-mentioned barcode reading device, and facing the reading surface on either the left or right side in FIG. It can be read by running it in the direction.

By the way, in the above-mentioned label 1, the barcode-based product information 10 is directly used at the store side not only for accounting purposes but also for inventory management. Some of them may not work, resulting in print leakage.
If incorrect product information is printed, serious errors will occur in accounting and inventory management. Therefore, it is necessary for the barcode printer to have a test function that can easily test whether its printing function (operating state of the print head, etc.) is normal or not, if necessary. Further, in this case, it is essential that such a test can be easily performed by an operator without special knowledge under normal usage conditions, and that the quality of the print function can be easily determined from the test results.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a barcode printer testing method that allows easy determination of the quality of the printing function.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, a test label issued according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

3A, 3B, and 3C each show three examples of portions corresponding to column 7 of the above-mentioned label 1 of a test label issued according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this Figure 3, the numbers shown at the bottom of each barcode are the corresponding barcodes in decimal numbers, and the codes a and b are the 5-digit and 4-digit decimal numbers in label 1 mentioned above. Each piece of product information indicates the position where it should be printed using a barcode. Also, each position a, b
At other positions, flags indicating the type of information printed and numerical values for checking are printed in the form of bar codes.

In this Figure 3, all digits at positions a and b in A of the same figure have bar codes corresponding to the numerical value "1", and bar codes at positions a and b in B of the same figure are all digits.
All digits have a barcode corresponding to the number "2",
Further, bar codes corresponding to the numerical value "3" are printed on all digits at positions a and b in C of the same figure. When such a test label is issued, the aforementioned print heads 20, 20
If everything is good, no matter what numeric code you use, the barcodes on each test label will have a uniform pattern, but if printhead 2
If there is even one item that does not work among 0, 20, etc., the pattern of the barcode group will not be uniform due to the printed numeric value (the pattern will have a line in the middle) and the test label will be printed. Since the certificate will be issued, defects in the printing function can be detected at a glance.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a barcode printer with a test label issuing function for issuing the test label as described above. In this figure, 30a is an input key having a function key (for example, use the "*" key) for issuing a test label in addition to numeric keys for inputting product information to be printed on a label. becomes the test label issuance command means. Further, 30b is an electronic scale that supplies weight information of the product. 31 is a central processing unit (hereinafter abbreviated as CPU) such as a microprocessor;
Read-only memory (hereinafter abbreviated as ROM) 3
2, the information from the input key 30a and the information from the electronic scale 30b are input using the random access memory (hereinafter abbreviated as RAM) 33, and after data processing the input information, the printer controller 34 can be sent to. In this case, the ROM 32 stores product information for one label supplied via the input key 30a and the electronic scale 30b, and numerical values for checking the same product information obtained by calculating (adding, etc.) this product information. A label issuing program is provided which converts the corresponding barcode print information and sends it to the printer control unit 34, and is started every time the test label issuing command function key "*" is pressed in the input key 30a. Then, test information using the same numerical value for all digits stored at a specific address in the RAM 33 (for example, "1, 1, ... 1") and the test information obtained by calculating this test information. At the same time, each numerical value of the test information stored in the specific address is changed to "1" from the current numerical value. ” Replace it with a larger number (for example, “1,
1,...1" → "2,2,...2" or "9,9,...9" → "0,0,...0") A program for issuing test labels is provided. There is. Further, the printer 35 is connected to the printer control unit 34.
According to the print information supplied from the printer, the corresponding dot-shaped print head is operated to perform printing. In addition, the CPU 31 and ROM 3 mentioned above
2. The RAM 33 and the test label issuing program constitute a test label print control section in this embodiment.

With the above configuration, the printer 35 issues a test label as shown in FIG. 3 every time the function key "*" is pressed on the input key 30a.

In addition, in the embodiment described above, the input key 3
The configuration is such that the numerical value used for the test information is incremented by 1 each time the function key "*" of 0a is pressed, but as a modification of this embodiment, If the configuration is such that the numerical value corresponding to the pressed numeric key of the input key 30a is used as the test information, it is possible to arbitrarily specify the numerical value of the test information to be printed on the test label.

In addition, in the test information of each test label shown in Figure 3, bar codes corresponding to flags and check numbers other than positions a and b are printed, which are the same as the numbers used for the test information. It is also possible to print a barcode corresponding to the numerical value of , and print the same barcode at all print positions including positions a and b.

As explained above, the present invention generates test print information for each numerical value in the form of multiple rows of identical barcodes corresponding to arbitrary numerical values,
Since test labels are issued for each numerical value, (a) the printing function of the barcode printer can be tested with simple operations;

(b) Since there should be many identical barcodes lined up on the test label, if this is not the case, it can be immediately determined that there is something wrong with the print head. In addition, since printing is performed using print heads arranged in a row, the printing speed is fast.

(c) The reliability of labels is improved, and accounting mistakes and inventory management mistakes can be prevented.

(d) The print head itself can be tested, and at the same time, the arithmetic function for calculating the check value can be tested by determining the check value printed on the label.

The following effects can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the label, FIG. 2 is a plan view for explaining the barcode printing method, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the main parts of a test label issued according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the same embodiment. 1... Label, 20, 20... Print head, 30a... Test label issuing command means (input key), 31... CPU, 32... ROM, 33...
RAM, (31, 32, 33 are test label print control units), 34...Printer control unit, 35
...Printer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Print heads arranged in a line in a direction perpendicular to the label transport direction, a printer control unit that drives the print heads to print a barcode on the label, and a test label issuing command means. In a test method for a barcode printer, which performs test printing of barcodes according to instructions from the test label issuing command means, A method for testing a barcode printer, characterized in that test print information is generated for each numerical value, and test labels are issued for each of the numerical values.