JPS63299963A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance operability to a large extent, by temporarily stopping printing operation in response to the printing stop order input from a keyboard inputting various control orders by keys and reopening printing operation from the printing stop position in response to printing reopening order input. CONSTITUTION:When the jamming of printing paper 3 is generated or a printing ribbon is exhausted during printing output operation, an operator immediately executes the combination key operation of the code key 9a and (P) character key 5 of a keyboard 2. Whereupon, printing operation is temporarily stopped and a buzzer 17 emits sound. After paper jamming correcting operation or printing ribbon replacing work is finished, the combination key operation of the code key 9a and (P) character key 5 of the keyboard 2 is again executed. Whereupon, printing operation is reopened from the printing stop position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing device that can arbitrarily interrupt a printing operation on printing data input from an external control section.

[Prior Art] Some printing devices, such as electronic typewriters, use a printing mechanism to print out print data input directly from a keyboard onto printing paper set on a platen, and also to communicate the data with an external control unit. Some printers have an interface circuit for data transmission and have a function of sequentially printing out print data input from a host computer to this interface circuit onto printing paper.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, low-cost electronic typewriters are not equipped with a paper jam sensor or ribbon end sensor that detects when a paper jam occurs in printing paper or when the printing ribbon runs out. Therefore, when the above-mentioned abnormal situation occurs, the power to the entire electronic typewriter must be shut off.

Once the power is turned off, after correcting the paper's stickiness or replacing the printing ribbon, when the power is turned on again, the inter-fine circuit, etc. will be cleared by the initialization process when the power is turned on. Therefore, it is necessary to send the print data from the host computer again from the beginning and restart the printing operation from the beginning. As a result, when printing a long sentence, it is necessary to reprint the partially printed sentence, which not only wastes printing paper but also reduces the efficiency of the entire printing operation.

By making it possible to temporarily stop the printing operation by operating a key on the keyboard, the present invention eliminates unnecessary consumption of printing paper due to paper jam correction work and ribbon replacement work, and wasteful printing time due to reprinting the same character. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing device that can suppress the problems and greatly improve operability.

[Means for solving the same problem] As shown in FIG.
In a printing device that sequentially prints print data C input from a printer via an interface circuit 1 onto printing paper e set on a platen using a printing mechanism d, various types of l are used.
A keyboard f for inputting a 1il command, and an external control unit a in response to input of a print stop command from the keyboard f.
a printing pause means Q for temporarily stopping the printing operation for the printing data C input from the external control section a; and a printing pause means Q for temporarily stopping the printing operation for the printing data C input from the external control section a in response to the printing restart command input from the keyboard f. The printer is equipped with a printing restart means for restarting printing from the position.

[Function] With a printing device configured in this way, if the paper jams while sequentially printing the print data input from the external control unit, the ribbon will run out, and the operator can When a print stop command is input by key, the print operation stops immediately.

Then, when the paper jam correction or ribbon replacement work is completed and a printing restart command is inputted from the keyboard, the printing operation is restarted from the position where it was stopped earlier.

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

In this embodiment, a printing device applied to an electronic typewriter will be explained.

That is, FIG. 2 shows the external appearance of an electronic typewriter as a printing device, and numeral 1 in the figure is a housing. A keyboard 2 is provided on the front surface of the housing 1, and a platen 4 for setting printing paper 3 is provided at the upper part of the housing 1.
is provided.

A carriage, whose movement is controlled in the axial direction of the platen 4 by a carriage motor, is movably attached to a shaft (not shown) disposed parallel to the platen 4. This carriage includes a print wheel with type formed on the tip of each spoke, a print hammer that strikes the type on the print wheel onto the print paper 3 set on the platen 4, a print ribbon, each motor that drives these, and a hammer solenoid. etc. are installed.

The keyboard 2 has alphabetic keys 5. as shown in the figure. Numeric keys 6, character symbol keys such as space key 7, carriage return (CR) key 8. In addition to the basic keys for a normal typewriter, such as the shift key and shift lock key, there is also a code (CODE) key 9a used to key in various control commands, and a code key 9a used to input various control commands. Function keys such as a mode selection key 9b for selectively setting between [typewriter mode] and [printer mode] for printing externally inputted print data are arranged.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the general structure of an electronic typewriter. In the figure, 10 indicates a CPU 11°ROM 12. R.A.
MI 3. Timer 14. and a control section incorporating various input/output ports.This control section 1o includes an interface circuit 16 into which print data is input from a host computer 15 serving as an external control section, the keyboard 2.
Buzzer 17.1! A source circuit 18 is connected. The control unit 10 includes a carriage motor 19 that moves the carriage based on print data input from the host computer 15 via the interface circuit 16 and various key signals from the keyboard 2, and a print wheel motor 20 that rotates the print wheel. ．． A paper feed motor 21 that rotates the platen 4 and feeds the printing paper 3. It drives and controls a ribbon feed motor 23 that feeds the printing ribbon and a hammer solenoid 23 that drives the printing hammer. Additionally, this control unit 10 includes a carriage home sensor 24 that detects when the carriage is located at a reference position (home position) set at the left end, and a carriage home sensor 24 that detects that the rotational position of the print wheel has reached the reference position. A detection signal from the print wheel home sensor 25 is input.

As shown in FIG. 4, the RAM 13 includes a flag area R1 for storing a printer mode flag indicating that [printer mode] is selected and set by the mode selection key 9b of the keyboard 2, and an interface circuit 16. A print buffer FR2 temporarily stores print data input through the keyboard 2, and a key input buffer 7R3 temporarily stores various control commands and print data input via the keyboard 2.
is formed.

Therefore, the Ill I211 section 10 is connected to the power supply circuit 1.
When the power switch 8 is turned on, the program is configured to execute print output processing for print data input from the host computer 15 according to the flowcharts in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In FIG. 5, when the power is turned on, a series of initialization processes such as clearing the various input/output ports and the interface circuit 16 and moving the carriage and print wheel to the home position are executed. When the initialization process is completed, the setting state of the printer mode flag in the flag area R1 of the RAM 13 is checked at Pl. If this printer mode flag is cleared to O, the keyboard 2
Character key 5. A normal typewriter operation is executed in which the corresponding characters and symbols are printed out on the printing paper 3 in accordance with the print data of the characters and symbols input using the numeric keys 6, space key 7° CR primary key, etc.

If [Printer Mode] is selected in Pl, P2
Keyboard 2 is placed in key input buffer R3 of RAM13.
Check whether key data such as control commands or print data is stored.

Note that this key input buffer 7R3 and print buffer R2
The data storage process for 61 is shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later.
Executed by timer interrupt processing every hour.

If key data is stored in the key input buffer R3 at P2, the key data is read out.

The key data read at P3 is the code key 9a and [Pl
If the combination key operation with character key 5 does not work and P
If the key data is not stored in the key input buffer R3 in step 2, the print buffer? One piece of print data input via the interface circuit 16 stored in R2 is read out. Note that if no print data is stored in the print buffer R2 at this point, the host computer 1
It is determined that the printing process for all the print data sent from step 5 has been completed or that the input of print data has not yet started, and the process returns to P2.

If one piece of print data read from print buffer FR2 is print data indicating a character or symbol such as a letter or number, P4
Then, normal print output processing is executed for the print data. That is, the spoke address of the print wheel corresponding to the print data is read from the ROM 12, and the print wheel motor 20 rotates the print wheel to a position where the printed characters specified by the spoke address face the platen 4. Thereafter, the hammer solenoid 23 is energized and the printing hammer prints the printed characters through the printing ribbon onto the platen 4.
3. Tap the printing paper 3 set on the paper. Thus, the corresponding characters are printed on the printing paper 3.

Furthermore, if the print data read from the print buffer R2 is print data of a function key that does not involve a print operation, such as a carriage return key, shift key, tab key, etc., a function process corresponding to the print data is executed in P5.

Furthermore, if the key data read from the key input buffer R3 at P3 is a combination key operation of the code key 9a and the character key 5 of [Pl, it is determined that a print stop command has been key input, and the buzzer 17 is sounded. . Then, at P6, the key data is stored in the key input buffer R3 again. When key data is stored in the keypad buffer R3 by a key operation on the keyboard 2, the stored key data is read out. Then, if the key data read at P7 is key data obtained by a combination key operation of the code key 9a and the character key 5 of [P], it is determined that a print restart command has been keyed in, and the buzzer 17 sounds. After stopping, return to P2.

Next, the time interrupt processing shown in FIG. 6 will be explained. That is,
When an interrupt signal is input from the timer 14 at every very short ΔT time, the setting state of the printer mode flag in the flag area R1 of the RAM 13 is checked in P8. If set to 1, this electronic typewriter is in [printer mode]
Therefore, in P9, it is monitored whether one piece of print data has been input from the host computer 15 to the interface circuit 16. When print data is input, after confirming that the print buffer R2 is not full of print data with a print output, the inputted piece of print data is stored in the print buffer R2. If the host computer 15 is full, full information is sent back to the host computer 15 via the interface circuit 16.

When the process of storing print data in the print buffer R2 is completed, the PIO checks whether key data has been input by key operation on the keyboard 2, and when the key operation is executed,
Store the input key data in the key input buffer R3.

Please note that the business mode is set to [typewriter mode] on page 8.
If it is set to , and if print data is not input from the host computer 15 to the interface circuit 16 at P9, the process immediately proceeds to Plo to check whether or not a key on the keyboard 2 has been operated. Thus, when print data is input from the host computer 15 or when key data is input from the keyboard 2, the data is immediately stored in the print buffer R2 and the key data buffer FR3'\. Note that once data is read from print buffer R2 and key input buffer R3, each buffer R2,
The read method data in R3 is cleared.

In the electronic typewriter as a printing device configured as described above, the printing paper 3 is set on the platen 4, the power is turned on, and the mode selection key 9b of the keyboard 2 is set to ``printer mode''.

When print data is sent from the host computer 15 to this electronic typewriter in this state, the input print data is stored in the -H print buffer R2, read out sequentially, and sequentially printed out on the printing paper 3. To go.

If a paper jam occurs in the printing paper 3 or the printing ribbon runs out during the printout operation, the operator immediately executes the combination key operation of the code key 9a and the character key 5 of [P] on the keyboard 2. Then, the printing operation is temporarily stopped and the buzzer 17 sounds. Then, when the paper jam correction work or printing ribbon replacement work is completed, and the code key 9a and [P] character key 5 combination key operation is executed again from the keyboard 2, the printing operation will resume from the printing stop position. be done.

In this way, if any trouble occurs during the printing operation, the printing operation can be temporarily stopped with a simple key operation, so the power to the entire electronic typewriter can be shut off to stop the printing operation. There's no need. therefore,
The interface circuit 16 and the like are not initialized in response to power being turned on again. Thus, the printing operation can be continued and resumed from the same location.

As a result, unlike conventional printing devices, the same print data is not printed again on the printing paper, so if a paper jam occurs, wasted printing time due to ribbon replacement can be eliminated, and printing paper is also wasted. There isn't.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Although the embodiment has been described using an electronic typewriter as an example of a printing device, the present invention can also be sufficiently applied to normal printing operations that do not have a typewriter function.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the printing device of the present invention, the printing operation can be temporarily stopped by key operations on the keyboard. Therefore, wasteful consumption of printing paper caused by paper jam correction work and bong replacement work and wasteful printing time caused by reprinting the same characters can be suppressed, and operability can be greatly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a functional block diagram showing the present invention, Figures 2 to 6
The figures show an electronic typewriter to which a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Fig. 2 is an external view showing the whole, Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration, and Fig. 4 is a Figures 5 and 6 showing the main memories of the storage section are flowcharts showing operations. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Housing, 2...Keyboard, 3...Printing paper, 4...Platen, 5...Character keys, 6...Number keys, 9a...Code key, 9b... Mode selection key, 10...control unit, 11...CPU, 13...
RAM. 15...Host computer, 16...Interface circuit, R2...Print buffer, R3...Key input buffer? . Applicant's Representative Patent Attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printing device that uses a printing mechanism to sequentially print print data input from an external control unit via an interface circuit onto printing paper set on a platen, there is a keyboard for key-inputting various control commands, and a keyboard for inputting various control commands. a printing pause means for temporarily stopping a printing operation for print data input from the external control unit in response to an input of a print stop command; 1. A printing device comprising: printing restart means for restarting a printing operation for printed printing data from a printing stop position.