JPS63224980A - Thermal transfer ink sheet cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To assure the compatibility of a thermal transfer ink sheet or a recording paper and to specify a recording paper corresponding to the thermal transfer ink sheet, by a method wherein, simultaneously when an improved thermal transfer ink sheet or recording paper is developed, a ROM having new gamma correction data corresponding to this improved matter is incorporated. CONSTITUTION:A ROM 2 is incorporated, which stores new gamma correction data corrected in the relation between the recording density of an image thermo- transferred on a recording paper 14 corresponding to a recording energy applied to a thermal head 12 and the recording energy and data indicating both or either of the type of a thermal transfer ink sheet 13 and the type of the recording paper 14. In this manner, even if the thermal transfer ink sheet 13 or the recording paper 14 is replaced by another one having different characteristics for enhancing the thermal transfer image, the compatibility of a thermal printer with the thermal transfer ink sheet 13 or the recording paper 14 is automatically assured, and the recording paper 14 corresponding to the thermal transfer ink sheet 13 to be loaded can be specified.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer ink sheet cassette used in a thermal printer that performs thermal transfer recording.

Conventional technology The relationship between the applied energy applied to the thermal head and the recording density corresponding to this applied energy is non-linear. In order to perform faithful halftone recording, it is necessary to correct this non-linear relationship to a straight line. Generally, it is necessary to perform a correction called γ correction (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-17954)
.

Conventionally, in thermal printers that record halftones using a thermal head, a ROM containing γ correction data in the form of a table is soldered directly to a printed circuit board in the printer body or attached via an IC socket. was.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The above-mentioned γ correction data is largely influenced by changes in the characteristics of the thermal transfer ink sheet and recording paper used.

Therefore, when changing to a new thermal transfer ink sheet or recording paper with different characteristics to improve thermal transfer images, it is necessary to replace the ROM with new γ correction data. General users were forced to perform extremely difficult tasks, such as removing the exterior casing and repairing soldering.

Therefore, if the thermal transfer ink sheet or recording paper has been improved after the device was released, compatibility between the thermal printer device and the thermal transfer ink sheet or recording paper has become a major problem. In addition, since various types of thermal transfer ink sheets and recording paper can be combined, it is possible to perform thermal transfer recording with recording paper that is not compatible with the thermal transfer ink sheet installed in the thermal printer, resulting in a failure to obtain a normal image. There was a problem.

Means for Solving the Problem A thermal transfer ink sheet cassette containing a thermal transfer ink sheet is used to determine the recording density of the image thermally transferred to the recording paper and the recording energy applied to the thermal head in response to the recording energy applied to the thermal head. R with built-in γ correction data that corrects the energy relationship and data that indicates the type of thermal transfer ink sheet and/or type of recording paper.
The apparatus includes an OM and a connecting means for electrically connecting the ROM and a thermal printer that performs thermal transfer recording using a thermal transfer ink sheet.

As described above, even if a new thermal transfer ink sheet with different characteristics or recording paper is used in order to improve the thermal transfer image, the present invention is capable of thermal transfer to the recording paper in response to the recording energy applied to the thermal head. This product contains new γ correction data that corrects the relationship between the recorded image density and the recording energy applied to the thermal head, as well as data that indicates the type of thermal transfer ink sheet and/or type of recording paper. Since the ROM is built into the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette, compatibility between the thermal printer device and the thermal transfer ink sheet or recording paper is automatically guaranteed.
Since the type of thermal transfer ink sheet and/or the type of recording paper installed in the thermal printer is indicated, the recording paper corresponding to the thermal transfer ink sheet installed in the thermal printer is clearly indicated.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram when the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette of the present invention is connected to a thermal printer device. Figure 1.

In FIG. 2, 1 is a thermal transfer ink sheet cassette; 2 is a thermal transfer ink sheet cassette;
is a ROM, 3 is a connector for a thermal transfer ink sheet cassette, 41L is an address bus, and 6ait is a data bus. Here, the ROM 2 includes a thermal head 12 in a thermal printer device 7 that uses a thermal transfer ink sheet 13 coated with ink of one color or a plurality of colors and transfers the ink to a recording paper 14 by the heat generated by the thermal head 12.
γ where the address is the recording density and the data is the applied energy, correcting the nonlinear relationship between the applied energy and the recording density.
A correction table, a program for signal processing and mechanism control of the thermal printer device 7 connected to the ROM 2 of the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette 1, and information on the type of thermal transfer ink sheet 13 and/or recording paper 14. It has a built-in code to show. In addition, 8 is a connector for connecting to the ROM cartridge, and 9B (ljPU
, 1o is a RAM that stores CPU calculation results and data.
, 11 are input/output ports, 4b and sb are address buses and data buses within this thermal printer device 7, and 15 is a thermal transfer ink sheet 13 and recording paper 14 connected to the thermal head 1.
A platen roller 16 is sandwiched together with 2 and conveys the recording paper 14, and a CPU 9 inputs the type of thermal transfer ink sheet 13 and the recording paper 1 from the ROM 2 of the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette 1.
Read the code indicating type 4 or either type, and determine which thermal transfer ink sheet this γ correction data corresponds to.
This is a display section that displays which recording paper combination is used. Address bus 4! L, 4b, and data bus 51L,
5b are connected to connectors 3 and 8, respectively, and the CPU 9 executes the command according to the program in the ROM 2, and transfers the applied energy corresponding to the desired recording density to the ROM.
2, and based on this, through the input/output port 11, the 'thermal head 1
2 to generate heat. The heat generated by the thermal head 12 transfers the ink to the recording paper 14 to form an image on the recording paper 14 . Here, since this γ characteristic is affected by changes in the temperature of the thermal head 12, multiple types of γ correction tables are provided for each temperature, and this γ correction table can be switched according to the temperature change of the thermal head 12. Printing can be performed without being affected by changes. In this way, also in this embodiment, by providing a plurality of types of γ correction tables in the ROM 2 and reading out the γ correction tables in the ROM 2 according to temperature changes of the thermal head 12, printing that is not affected by temperature changes is possible. It is.

In addition, cpve is the thermal transfer ink sheet 13 in ROM2.
The type of thermal transfer ink sheet 13 and the type of recording paper 14 corresponding to the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette 1 are displayed on the display section of the thermal printer device 7. Display one type or the other. This allows the user to know which combination of thermal transfer ink sheet 13 and recording paper 14 should be used for printing.

FIG. 3 is an external view of an embodiment of the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette 1 of the present invention. Although the ROM 2 is not shown in the figure, it is connected to the connector 3 within the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette 1. Further, the connector 3 is disposed on the entire surface in the direction in which the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette 1 is attached to the thermal printer device 7 (arrow mark).

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, when an improved thermal transfer ink sheet or recording paper is developed, a ROM having new γ correction data corresponding to the improved thermal transfer ink sheet or recording paper is simultaneously added to the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette. This automatically ensures compatibility between the thermal printer device and the thermal transfer ink sheet as well as the recording paper. Furthermore, it is possible to know at a glance which combination of thermal transfer ink sheet and which recording paper the γ correction data is based on, so that the recording paper compatible with the thermal transfer ink sheet can be used without fail, which has a great effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a thermal transfer ink sheet cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram when the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette is connected to a thermal printer device, and Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the thermal transfer ink sheet cassette. FIG. 1...Thermal transfer ink sheet cassette, 2...
...ROM, 3...Connector, 41...Address bus, 6a...Data bus, 13...
...Thermal transfer ink sheet. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person No. 1
Figure jz de'- tabas

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A thermal transfer ink sheet coated with one or more colors of ink that is thermally transferred to the recording paper by a thermal head, and the recording density of the image that is thermally transferred to the recording paper in response to the recording energy applied to the thermal head. and a ROM containing one or more types of γ correction data that linearly corrects the relationship between the recording energy applied to the thermal head, a thermal printer that performs thermal transfer recording using the thermal transfer ink sheet, and the ROM that is electrically connected to the thermal printer that performs thermal transfer recording using the thermal transfer ink sheet. A thermal transfer ink sheet cassette comprising: (2) The thermal transfer ink sheet cassette according to claim 1, comprising a ROM containing a code indicating the type of thermal transfer ink sheet and recording paper, or one of the types.