JPS63144065A - Output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To output a character row at an equal pitch accurately and speedily, by providing a range-setting means, an equal pitch data memory and an equal pitch controlling means, and outputting the character row in a desired output range on an output medium, with a space corresponding to the equal pitch provided at either end part. CONSTITUTION:When an equal space key 21 is operated, mode is switched to an equal space mode, and a character counter I for counting the number of characters to be printed in equal space printing is cleared. When a tab set key 16 is operated to set the left end of a printing range, it is discriminated whether printing range flags are set, based on data in a printing range flag memory 93 in a RAM 90. When character keys 10, 11 or symbol keys 12 are operated for performing equal pitch printing in the set printing range, input data or the like is stored into an equal pitch printing data memory 96, and the counter I is incremented by one. When an execution key 22 is operated, an equal pitch is calculated by dividing the printing range by (the number of characters to be printed) + 1, and the inputted characters are outputting at the equal pitch in the range set on a printing paper.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an output device, and in particular, the present invention relates to an output device, in particular, in which spaces corresponding to equal pitches are provided at both left and right ends of a specified range on an output medium such as printing paper or a display. The present invention relates to an output device that outputs characters and symbols at equal pitches.

(Prior Art) In conventional printing devices, such as electronic typewriters and word processors, for convenience when creating documents by printing input character strings, for example, FIG.
As shown in b), there is an equal allocation function that aligns the characters at both ends of a character string to both limits of a pre-specified range, and evenly distributes them within the specified range, There are already known ones that have a justification function that evenly allocates character strings by aligning them to their positions (for example: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-124270, Japanese Utility Model Application No. 60-124270,
No. 0-41260, Utility Model Application No. 60-1) No. 9560).

In the conventional printing apparatus having the above-mentioned equal allocation function, the user specifies the equal allocation range on a CRT display or LCD display. Further, in the conventional printing device having the above-mentioned justification function, both ends of a line are designated at once for the entire text over a wide range.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) When creating a document, for example, there are cases where a title is specially printed in a predetermined position at the top of the document, or a title is printed in a predetermined blank space of an already printed document. In some cases, it is desired to print characters within a desired or designated range with equal pinching.

However, in the conventional printing device having the above-mentioned equal allocation function, for example, as shown in FIG. In this case, if you set the position of ■ and the position of ■ in advance and print the characters "ABC" at equal pitches after inputting them, the character "A" will be at the left end of the printing range, as shown in Figure 7 (b). The character "C" is printed adjacent to the position ■, and the character "C" is printed adjacent to the rightmost position ■ at equal pitches. Note that the equal printing pitch at this time is indicated by "b".

At this time, when the printing range is relatively wide and the number of printed characters such as tiles is small, there is a problem that the spaces between the printed characters become wide, making it impossible to distinguish which one is the title.

Therefore, when providing a space at both ends of the print range to make it easier to distinguish the title, the print range should be set as shown in Figure 7 (
It is sufficient to set the space between ■゛ and ■' in a), but if you want to provide the same space between each character at both ends of the printing range for aesthetic reasons, the operator can measure the printing range and calculate the equal pitch value. The problem is that equal pitch printing cannot be easily performed and that operability is poor.

(Objective of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide an output device that can accurately, simply and quickly output character strings at equal pitches within a predetermined range on an output medium.

(Means for Solving the Problems) As shown in the functional block diagram of FIG. 1, the output device according to the present invention includes an input means for inputting characters, symbols, etc., and an input means for outputting the characters and symbols to an output medium.・In an output device equipped with an output means and a control means for controlling the output means so as to output characters and symbols corresponding to input data from the input means onto the output medium, the range of uniform pitch output on the output medium and an equal pitch data memory for storing equal pitch output data inputted from the input means, the character string data of the equal pitch data memory and the range on the output medium set by the range setting means. Equal pitch control means is provided for outputting character strings at the equal pitch by providing spaces corresponding to the equal pitch determined based on the number of characters plus one at the right end of the range and outputting the character string at the equal pitch. It is something.

(Operation) In the output device according to the present invention, when characters, symbols, etc. are input from the input means, the control means outputs the characters and symbols corresponding to the input data from the input means to the output medium. Control the means. Accordingly, the output means outputs characters and symbols to the output medium.

On the other hand, the equal pitch output data input from the input means is
Stored in equal pitch data memory. Further, the range setting means sets the range of equal pitch output on the output medium. When the setting of the output range is completed, the space corresponding to the equal pitch calculated based on the range on the output medium and the division number obtained by adding 1 to the number of characters of the character string data in the equal pitch data memory is determined by the equal pitch control means. Output means provided at the left end and right end are controlled so that the character strings are output at the same pitch.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the output device according to the present invention, the range setting means, equal pitch data memory, and equal pitch control means as described above are provided, and both left and right ends of the output medium are set within a desired output range on the output medium. Spaces corresponding to equal pitches are provided for characters and symbols to be output at equal pitches, so equal pitches can be easily printed and operability is improved. For example, when the output means is a printing means, as shown in FIG. 6(b) according to the embodiment, spaces corresponding to equal pitches are provided on both left and right ends of the print medium in a specified desired range, and the input data is printed. can be printed at equal pitches, so when a title or the like is printed in a predetermined blank space of a printed document, it can be easily distinguished which is the title, and it can be printed quickly and neatly.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

This embodiment is a case where the present invention is applied to an electronic typewriter.

As shown in FIG. 2, a keyboard 3 is arranged at the front of a main body frame 2 of the electronic typewriter 1, and a printing mechanism PM is arranged inside the main body frame 2 behind the keyboard 3. The keyboard 3 is provided with the following various keys. Namely, character keys including alphabet key 10, numeric key 1) and symbol key 12, space key 13, backspace key 14, return key 15, tab set key 16, paper feed key 17, return key 18,
These include a repeat key 19, a cursor movement key 20, an equal allocation key 21, and an execution key 22 for executing equal pitch printing. Note that the equal allocation key 21 is a key for instructing a transition to the equal allocation mode unique to the present invention. The other various keys and the functions and operations obtained by operating them are generally the same as those of existing typewriters, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

At the rear of the keyboard 3, there is an LCD display (liquid crystal display) 71 for displaying characters and symbols entered by operating the character keys 10 to 12, the space key 13, etc.
is provided.

In the printing mechanism PM, the platen 30 is driven by a platen drive motor or a platen knob 31 to feed the printing paper 45. Further, the carriage 32 is supported by two guide shafts 34 and 35, and a type wheel drive motor 54 is disposed on the carriage 32, and a type wheel 37 is mounted on the motor shaft.

Also, the type 39 of the type wheel 37 placed at the printing position
The printing hammer 40 that strikes the printing hammer solenoid 55
Driven by. The ribbon cassette 42 containing the printing ribbon 41 is placed on a holder 43, and a correction ribbon 44 is placed in the lower part of the rear part of the holder 43. Furthermore, the printing ribbon 41 is placed in the printing position. the printing posture (FIG. 3), the resting posture (path shown) in which the printing ribbon 41 is moved below the printing position, and the correction posture (path shown) in which the correction ribbon 44 is placed at the printing position. In order to change the position of the holder 43, a drive shaft rotatably driven by a ribbon lift motor 53 and a well-known cam mechanism are provided.

Next, the overall configuration of the control system of the typewriter 1 will be explained based on the block diagram of FIG. 4.

The driving parts of the printing mechanism PM include a platen drive motor 50 and its driver 60, a carriage drive motor 51 and its driver 61, a ribbon feed motor 52 and its driver 62, a ribbon lift motor 53 and its driver 63, and a type wheel. Drive motor 54 and its driver 64; Print hammer solenoid 55 and its driver 6
It consists of 5, etc. Each of the drivers 60 to 65 of the printing mechanism PM is connected to the control device C.

The display device iD includes a display CPU (central processing unit) 70 for display control, an LCD display 71 for displaying characters and symbols, and a display controller 73 for displaying on the LCD display 71. The display CPU 70 and display controller 73 connect to the main (, PU <
Receives command data and character code data output from the central processing unit) 76 and displays corresponding display signals on the LC.
Output to D display 71.

The control device C includes a main CPU 76 and a main CPU 76.
ROM (read only memory) 80 connected to
and RAM (Random Access Memory) 90. The main CPU 76 is connected to the keyboard 3, each of the drivers 60 to 65 of the printing mechanism PM, and the ink face 75 via a data bus or the like.

The keyboard 3 is stored in the program memory 81 of the ROM 80.
Each of the motors 50 to 54 corresponds to the data of each character inputted from the character keys 10 to 12 and the space key 13, etc., and the data of each function inputted from various function keys.
General control programs such as a control program for controlling the printing hammer solenoid 55 and the display device are also stored. In addition, the program memory 81 stores a control program for controlling equal pitch printing as described later.

The RAM 90 is provided with the following memories in addition to various memories for temporarily storing the results of calculations performed by the main CPU 76. That is, a current position memory 91 that stores the current position of the carriage in correspondence with the printing position;
An even allocation flag memory 92 that stores an even allocation flag that is set when in the even allocation mode, and a print range that stores a print range flag that is set when an even allocation (equal pitch printing) print range is set. Flag memory 93
, a left end position memory 94 for storing the left end position of the printing range for equal pitch printing, a right end position memory 95 for storing the right end position of the printing range, and an equal pitch printing memory for storing input characters and symbols for equal pitch printing. A data memory 96, a character number counter (2) for counting the number of characters and symbols written in the equal pitch print data memory 96, and a character pitch memory 97 for storing the calculation result of character pitch are provided.

The main CPU 76 causes the printing mechanism PM to print data of each character and symbol inputted from the character keys 10 to 12 of the keyboard 3 on the printing paper 45 based on the control program. When the input data is command data from various function keys that operate each motor of the printing mechanism PM,
The main CPU 76 outputs control signals corresponding to input data to each driver 60-65. Furthermore, main CPU7
6 controls equal pitch printing as described below.

Next, a flowchart of uniform pitch printing control performed by the control system of the typewriter will be explained with reference to FIG.

This control is started when the typewriter is powered on, and in step 31 (hereinafter simply referred to as S1, and other steps are handled in the same way), the control program is read out from the program memory 81 to the main CPU 76. , reset each flag 92 and 93, and reset each memory 97 and 94 to
Initial settings such as clearing 97 are executed, and the process moves to S2. At S2, wait for key manpower, and if key manpower is available, S2
Move to 3. In S3, it is determined whether or not the equal allocation flag is set based on the data in the equal allocation flag memory 92 of the RAM 90. If it is not set, the process moves to S4. If it is not the evenly allocated key 21, display control, printing control, etc. as a general typewriter are executed based on the key input in S5, and S
Return to 2.

Then, when the equal allocation key 21 is operated, the determination in S4 becomes Yes and the process moves to S6, sets the equal allocation flag and switches to the equal allocation mode, and in the next step 37, the number of printed characters of equal pitch printing is counted. Clear the character count counter ■ and return to S2.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 6(a), for example, between the * marks already printed on the printing paper 45, that is,
When setting a printing range i between ), and when the tab set key 16 is operated to set the left end of the printing range, it is determined Yes in S3 and the process moves to S8, and the RA
It is determined whether the printing range flag is set based on the data in the printing range flag memory 93 of M90, and if it is not set, it is determined in S9 that the tab set key 16 is pressed and the process moves to S10.

At 310, the current position data memory 9 of the RAM 90
1 data is written to the left end position memory 94, and the next Sl data is written to the left end position memory 94.
At l, the print range flag is set, and then the process returns to S2.

Next, when a carriage movement key, such as the space key 13 or the backspace key 14, is operated to set the right end of the printing range, it is determined in S12 via S3 and S8 that it is a carriage movement key, and the process proceeds to S13. transition,
Carriage 3 moves in response to the operated carriage movement key.
2 is moved and the process returns to S2. In the above case, the main CPU
76 outputs a control signal to the carriage drive motor driver 61. At this time, the carriage 32, for example,
It is located at ■ in Figure (a).

Next, when the tab set key 16 is operated again, S3.
Move to 314 through S8 and S12, and press tab set key 1
It is determined that it is 6, and the process moves to 515.

In S15, the data in the current position memory 91 is written to the right end position memory 95, and in the next step 316, the print range flag is reset and the process returns to S2.

Incidentally, when it is determined NO in S14, that is, when a key other than the carriage movement key or the tab set key 16 is operated, the process moves to 325, an alarm is outputted by a buzzer or a lamp, and the process returns to S2.

When the character key 10.1) or the symbol key 12 is operated to print at equal pitch within the set printing range through steps 39 to S16, the process moves to S17 through steps S3 and 88 to S9, and the printable key is pressed. It is determined whether or not the key is printable, and if the key is printable, the process moves to 518. In step 318, the input data is stored in the equal pitch print data memory 96, and the input data is stored in the equal pitch print data memory 96, and the input data is
In step 9, 1 is added to the counter ■, and in the next step 320, the input characters and symbols are displayed on the display 71,
Return to S2. At this stage, each time you enter a character, you will receive 317
The processes from ~S20 are repeated.

When displaying the characters and symbols on the display 71, the data of the characters and symbols is output from the main CPU 76 to the display CPU 70 via the interface 75.
U70 reads the dot pattern data corresponding to the data from the display controller 73, and stores the display data in the display RAM of the display controller 73.
A display signal is output from the display RAM to the display 71. Here, it is assumed that rABcJ is input.

If you operate the execution key 22 after inputting all the characters necessary for printing, 322 will be displayed via S3, S8, S17, and S21.
to move to. In S22, based on the data in the left end position memory 94, the data in the right end position memory 95, and the data in the character number counter I, the character pitch is calculated by equally dividing the printing range into (number of characters to be printed + 1), and the character pitch is calculated as the character pitch. It is stored in the pitch memory 97. That is, the character pitch is calculated so that equally spaced spaces are provided between the characters at both ends of the input character string and both ends of the print range.

In the next step 323, based on the data in the equal pitch print data memory 96 and the character pitch memory 97, the characters inputted at equal pitches are printed in the set range on the printing paper.

In this case, a control signal is output from the main CPU 76 to each driver 61 to 65 of the printing mechanism PM. In the example of FIG. 6, the title rABcJ is printed at equal pitch a in the range between the * marks, as shown in FIG. 6(b). When printing is completed, the equal allocation flag 92 is reset in S24, each memory 94 to 97 is cleared, the display 71 is erased, and the process returns to S2.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to accurately, simply and quickly perform equal pitch printing within a desired printing range on a document.

Incidentally, instead of the tab set key 20, a configuration may be adopted in which the print range is specified by a dedicated print range designation key.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which character strings are printed at equal pitches in a desired range on the printing paper 45, but it is also possible to print characters and symbols at equal pitches in a desired range on a display. The invention can be applied similarly. However, in both the CRT display and the LCD display, the display positions of characters and symbols are subject to mechanical constraints of the display, and therefore the characters and symbols are displayed at equal pitches within the framework of the constraints.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the printing device of the present invention, and FIG.
Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an electronic typewriter, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional side view of main parts of the electronic typewriter, and Fig. 4 is a control system of the electronic typewriter. Block diagram, Figure 5 is a flowchart of the control routine, Figure 6 is a flowchart of the control routine.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating state, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating conventional evenly spaced printing. 3...keyboard, 45...printing paper, 76...
Main CPU, 80...ROM, 81...Program memory, 90...RAM, 94...Left end position memory, 95...Right end position memory, 96...Equal pitch print data memory, 97...Character pitch memory, PM ...Printing mechanism. Patent applicant: Brother Industries, Ltd. Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An input means for inputting characters and symbols, an output means for outputting the characters and symbols to an output medium, and an output means for outputting characters and symbols corresponding to input data from the input means to the output medium. An output device comprising: a range setting means for setting a range of equal pitch output on the output medium; and an equal pitch data memory for storing equal pitch output data input from the input means. , A space corresponding to the equal pitch obtained based on the range on the output medium set by the range setting means and the division number obtained by adding 1 to the number of characters of the character string data in the equal pitch data memory is divided into the range. An output device comprising equal pitch control means provided at a left end and a right end for outputting the character string at the same pitch.