KR20190071665A - Printer to mount various types of thermal print heads - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a printer capable of replacing various types of thermal print heads. A printer capable of being mounted with thermal print heads according to an embodiment comprises: a head receiving portion capable of being mounted with various types of thermal print heads; and a controller for controlling a first thermal print head in accordance with the type of the first thermal print head when the first thermal print head is mounted on the head receiving portion. Identification information for identifying the type of the first thermal print head is indicated by the first thermal print head in accordance with a type confirmation signal applied to the first thermal print head. The controller identifies the type of the first thermal print head based on the indicated identification signal, sets a control signal for controlling the first thermal print head in accordance with the type of the first thermal print head, and controlling the first thermal print head using the set control signal. At least some of attributes of the control signal for controlling the first thermal print head are different from at least some of attributes of the control signal for controlling a second thermal print head of a type different from the type of the first thermal print head. According to the present invention, damage to the print head is prevented.

Description

[0001] PRINTER TO MOUNT VARIOUS TYPES OF THERMAL PRINT HEADS [0002]

The following embodiments are directed to printers capable of mounting various types of thermal print heads.

A printer is one of the representative methods of outputting images or text, and various printers exist. Depending on the printing method of the printer, it can be divided into impact type and non-impact type. Non-impact types are ink jet printer, laser printer and thermal printer.

In addition, various types of printers can be mounted on the printer, and the printer controls the mounted print head to perform printing. At this time, depending on the type of the print head, the specification of the print head may be different. However, when the printhead is controlled without considering the type of each printhead, the efficiency of the control of the printhead may deteriorate, print speed / quality may deteriorate, and further damage to the printhead may occur . For example, some inkjet printers, laser printers, and thermal printers generate heat in the printheads when they use heat or during the printing process. The heat generated by the printhead causes the printhead to overheat during continuous printing. At this time, depending on the type of the print head, the critical heat generating temperatures of the respective print heads may be different upon heat generation. However, when all the printheads generate heat at a specific temperature collectively without considering the type of the printhead, the temperature of the corresponding printhead may become higher than the critical heat-generating temperature, Lt; / RTI >

In recent years, in order to solve such a problem, a technique for controlling the printhead to suit the type of the printhead has been studied.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer which can easily identify the type of a printhead and control the printhead according to the specification of the identified printhead to prevent damage to the printhead.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control method of a printer which can easily identify the type of the print head and control the print head according to the specification of the identified print head to prevent the damage of the print head .

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control method of a printer capable of simply identifying the type of a print head and controlling the print head according to the specification of the identified print head to prevent damage to the print head And a recording medium recorded thereon.

A printer capable of mounting a thermal print head according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a head receiving portion capable of mounting various types of thermal print heads; And a controller for controlling the first thermal print head in accordance with the type of the first thermal print head when the first thermal print head is mounted on the head receiving portion, Identification information for identifying the type of the first thermal print head is indicated by the first thermal print head in response to the confirmation signal, And a controller for controlling the first thermal print head by setting the control signal for controlling the first thermal print head according to the type of the first thermal print head and for controlling the first thermal print head using the set control signal, At least some of the attributes of the control signal for controlling the one thermal print head are different from the second thermal print That at least one property of the control signal for controlling a head portion which is different can be characterized.

It is to be understood that the solution of the problem of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned solutions, and the solutions which are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs It will be possible.

According to the present invention, by controlling the printhead according to the type of the printhead, damage to the printhead is prevented, the head of the printer is protected without a separate head protection circuit applied to the printer or a separate head protection algorithm, And an effect that the printhead can be used efficiently can be obtained.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a printer according to one embodiment.
2 is a block diagram showing a printer according to another embodiment.
3 to 5 are views for explaining a thermal print head according to an embodiment.
6 is a view for explaining a thermal print head according to another embodiment.
7 is a view for explaining the identification of a thermal print head based on the number of shift registers or the characteristics of a heating element of the thermal print head according to an embodiment
8 is a view for explaining identification of a thermal print head based on a signal pattern according to an embodiment.
9 is a diagram for explaining control of a strobe signal according to an embodiment.
10 is a view for explaining control of a transmission frequency of data to be transmitted to a thermal print head according to an embodiment.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to or limited by the embodiments. In addition, the same reference numerals shown in the drawings denote the same members.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a printer according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, the printer 100 is an apparatus for performing printing on paper, and may include a receipt printer, a label printer, a mobile printer, a thermal printer, an inkjet printer, a ribbon printer, a laser printer and the like. Of course, the printers listed above are exemplary and in addition to the printers listed above, all the devices that perform printing on paper may be included in the printer 100.

The printer 100 may include a communication interface 110, a memory unit 120, a user input unit 130, an output unit 140, a printer unit 150, and a controller 160. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and an electronic device having components having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The communication interface 110 may include one or more modules that enable network communication between the printer 100 and an external device.

For example, the communication interface 110 may include a wireless Internet interface such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wifi (WiFi), a Bluetooth, a ZigBee, a WiGig, Wireless communication such as short range communication interfaces such as Frequency Identification (NFC), Near Field Communication (NFC), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), and WiHD Module, and can communicate data with the outside via a wireless communication module.

Of course, the communication interface 110 may include not only a wireless communication module but also a wired communication module. For example, through the communication unit 110, the printer 100 can communicate data with the outside by using at least one of a USB system, a serial system, and a parallel system.

The memory unit 120 can store various data necessary for the operation of the printer 100. [ For example, the memory unit 120 may store a program (e.g., a program for controlling the printer unit 160) for operating the control unit 160, and may store various data.

The memory unit 120 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) At least one of a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read- Lt; / RTI > type of storage medium.

The user input unit 130 may perform a function of receiving necessary data and / or commands from the user. The user input unit 130 can generate input data for controlling the operation of the printer 100 based on necessary data and / or commands received from the user.

The user input unit 130 may include a keyboard, a mouse, a key pad, a dome switch, a dip switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, And may include at least one.

In one embodiment, the user input unit 130 can receive information on the type of paper, and the controller 160 can provide the information input to the controller 160 so that the type of paper is recognized.

The output unit 140 generates an output related to the time or the auditory sense. The output unit 140 may include an audio output unit 141, a video output unit 142, and the like.

The audio output unit 141 audibly outputs information related to a function performed by the printer 100. The audio output unit 141 may include a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The video output unit 142 visually outputs information processed by the printer 100. [ For example, the printer 100 may display a GUI (Graphic User Interface) capable of interfacing with a user through the video output unit 142.

The video output unit 142 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode, a flexible display, a three-dimensional display display).

In a case where the video output unit 142 and the sensor for sensing the touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') have a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a 'touch screen'), the video output unit 142 It can be used as an input device in addition to an output device. The touch sensor may have the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The printer unit 150 is for performing printing under the control of the controller 160 and may include a head receiving unit 151. [ The head receiving portion 151 may be defined as an apparatus for receiving a print head. Here, the printhead is a device for recording signals by the controller 160 on paper, and may include a thermal printhead, an inkjet printhead, a dot printhead, a laser printhead, and the like.

In addition, the head receiving portion 151 can accommodate various types of print heads. Here, the type of the print head can be defined by various criteria such as a method of a print head (for example, a thermal method, an ink method, a dot method, a laser method, etc.), a manufacturer, a model name, and a serial number. As an example, printheads manufactured by the same manufacturer may be classified as the same type of printhead. In another example, printheads manufactured by the same manufacturer may be defined as different types of printheads if the model names are different. As yet another example, even a printhead manufactured by the same manufacturer, a thermal print head and an ink printhead may be defined as different types of printheads.

The control unit 160 controls the overall operation of the printer 100. In particular, the control unit 160 may control the operation of the printer 100 according to codes by an application (for example, firmware) installed in the printer 100. [ The application may include, as an application program, program codes for performing a function specific to the printer 100. In addition, the above-described application may be implemented in the form of software, stored in an operating system and / or an application memory unit 120 implemented in software, and then, if necessary, And can be provided to the printer 100.

In addition, the control unit 160 may obtain print data from the host via the communication interface 110, and may print on the paper with the print head 150 based on the obtained print data.

At this time, the control unit 160 can identify the type of the print head 150 when the specific print head 150 among various types of print heads is mounted on the printer 100. In accordance with the identification of the type of printhead 150, the controller 160 may control the printhead 150 to match the type of printhead 150. For example, when the print head 150 is a thermal print head, the heating element of the thermal print head may generate heat in accordance with a control signal from the controller 160. At this time, the heating element of the thermal print head may have a critical temperature, and the critical temperature of the heating element of the thermal print head may be different depending on the type of the thermal print head. However, when a temperature higher than the critical temperature is generated in the heating element of the thermal print head, the heating element is damaged and the quality of the printed material printed from the thermal print head may deteriorate. In order to solve such a problem, the controller 160 can control the thermal print head so that the temperature of the heating element of the thermal print head does not exceed the critical temperature, depending on the type of the thermal print head.

Hereinafter, the control of the printhead according to the type of the printhead will be described. However, the following description is not limited to the thermal print head, and the following description of the control of the print head will be omitted for the sake of convenience. , A laser print head, a dot print head, and the like.

2 is a block diagram showing a printer according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, the printer 200 may include a control unit 210 and a thermal print head 220. The controller 210 may perform overall control including driving control of the thermal print head 220. The control unit 210 may transmit a control signal for controlling the thermal print head 220 to the thermal print head 220. [ Here, the control signal may be defined as a signal used for controlling the thermal print head 220. For example, the control signal may be a data signal including various data such as print data, a control signal from the control unit 210 and the thermal print head 220 A latch signal for latching print data, a strobe signal for energizing the thermal print head 220, and the like. In addition, the control unit 210 may transmit a control signal to the thermal print head 220 in a serial manner or a parallel manner.

In one embodiment, the thermal print head 220 may be mounted to a head receiving portion (not shown). The thermal print head 220 may include a control board, the control board may receive control signals from the controller 210, and the thermal print head 220 may be driven based on the received control signals.

In one embodiment, the controller 210 may apply a type identification signal to the thermal print head 220 to identify identification information from the thermal print head 220. Here, the type identification signal may be a voltage signal having a predetermined voltage level or a signal having a predetermined current level, or may be a signal including request data requesting the provision of the identification signal. In addition, as the type identifying signal is applied to the thermal print head 220, the thermal print head 220 may provide identification information indicative of the type of thermal print head 220. In one example, the identification information may include a voltage level, a current level, a resistance value, a signal pattern for identifying the type of the thermal print head 220 among the various types of thermal print heads, The resistance value of the thermistor included in the thermal print head 220, the number of the heating elements of the thermal print head 220, and the resistance value of the heating element.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the thermal print head 220 may include identification information providing 221. The identification information providing unit 221 may provide the identification information of the thermal print head 220. For example, the identification information providing unit 221 may obtain the type identification signal from the control unit 210 and provide the identification information in response to the type identification signal.

The control unit 210 can identify the type of the thermal print head 220 based on the identification information. For example, in the memory unit (not shown) of the printer 200, print type information for identifying various types of thermal print heads may be stored in advance. The control unit 210 may extract the type of the thermal print head 220 from the print type information using the identification information. For example, the print type information may be stored in the form of a lookup table. In this case, the controller 210 may search the lookup table for the type of the thermal print head 220 through the identification information.

After the type of the thermal print head 220 is identified, the controller 210 may set a control signal for controlling the thermal print head 220 according to the type of the thermal print head 220.

In one embodiment, the controller 210 may set the attribute of the control signal for controlling the type of thermal print head 220 identified. Here, the attributes of the control signal include an amplitude, a length, a period, an application time, a duration, a frequency (or a clock frequency, a clock frequency, (Or parameter) of each control signal, such as the dot density of the print data included in the print data, etc. At least some of the attributes of the control signal may vary depending on the type of thermal print head: At least some of the attributes of the control signal for controlling the thermal print head may differ from at least some of the attributes of the control signal for controlling the second type of thermal print head, which is different from the first thermal print head. For example, The period of the strobe signal of the first thermal print head may be different from the period of the strobe signal of the second thermal print head.

Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the control unit 210 extracts the specification of the type-identified thermal print head 220 stored in advance in the memory unit (not shown) The attribute of the control signal can be set so as to correspond to the specification.

Also, in another embodiment, the memory unit (not shown) may previously store control signal information indicating information on control signals corresponding to various types of thermal print heads. At this time, at least some of the attributes of the control signals of the respective types of thermal print heads may be different. For example, the control signal information includes information on the first strobe signal and the first data signal for controlling the first thermal print head, the second strobe signal for controlling the second thermal print head, and the second data signal May be included. In addition, the first strobe signal and the second strobe signal may have different periods from each other, and the first data signal and the second data signal may have different transmission frequencies from each other.

The control unit 210 extracts control signals corresponding to the respective types of thermal print heads from the control signal information stored in the memory unit (not shown), and controls the corresponding thermal print heads by using the extracted control signals. For example, the control unit 210 may identify the type of the first thermal print head 220 and extract the first strobe signal and the first data signal from the control signal information according to the identified type. The controller 210 may control the first thermal print head 220 by transmitting the extracted first strobe signal and the first data signal to the first thermal print head 220.

Also, the control signal information may be stored in a lookup table format.

When a plurality of applications for controlling various types of thermal print heads are stored in a memory unit (not shown) of the printer 200, the controller 210 controls the thermal print head 220 among a plurality of applications And controls the thermal print head 220 by driving the selected application.

3 to 5 are views for explaining a thermal print head according to an embodiment.

3, the thermal print head 300 includes a terminal unit 310 for receiving a control signal from a control unit, a heating unit 320 including a plurality of heating elements for processing print data, data A latch register 340 for latching data stored in the shift register 330 by a latch signal from the control unit, a latch register 340 for latching data stored in the shift register 330 by a latch signal from the control unit, 300), and provides the measured temperature value to the control unit.

In one embodiment, the heat generating unit 320 may include 512 heat generating elements, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The heat generating element 320 may be composed of various numbers such as 832 pieces. Although the shift register 330 and the latch register 340 are shown as one example, the shift register 330 and the latch register 340 may be configured as a plurality of the shift register 330 and the latch register 340, respectively. As an example, the number of shift registers 330 may vary depending on the type of thermal print head.

In one embodiment, the thermal print head 300 receives print data input from the control unit through a terminal 311, which is a data, and stores the received print data in the shift register 330, and the data output from the shift register 330 And is output to the data output terminal 312. At this time, if all of the predetermined print data is input, the latch register 340 latches the print data input by the latch signal generated by the control unit. The print data latched in the latch register 340 drives the heating elements included in the heating unit 320 by their respective values to control on / off of the heating elements. In addition, the control unit can apply the strobe signal to the thermal print head 330, and the heating element is enabled by the applied strobe signal. That is, power is applied to each heating element by the strobe signal, and heat of the heating element to which the power is applied is transmitted to the paper (or ribbon), and printing can be performed. At this time, the level of heat generated in the heat generating element can be determined according to the duration (or on-time) of the strobe signal, the period of the strobe signal, and the like. For example, if the duration of the strobe signal is relatively long, the heat generating element can generate relatively high heat.

In addition, the thermal print head 330 may include an identification information providing unit 360. The control unit may provide a type identification signal via the type identification terminal 313 and the thermal print head 330 may provide identification information of the thermal print head 300 in response to the type identification signal.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the connection between the data out terminal 312 and the control unit is disconnected, and the type confirmation terminal 313 may be connected to the control unit instead of the data out terminal 312. [

The data output terminal 312 provides the data output from the shift register 330 to the control unit. However, in some cases, the data output from the data output terminal 312 may be unnecessary in the operation of the control unit. Accordingly, since the type identification terminal 313 is connected to the control unit instead of the data out terminal 312, unnecessary data can be prevented from being input to the control unit. In addition, since only essential terminals of the terminal unit 310 are connected to the control unit, connection between the control unit and the thermal print head 300 can be simplified. In some cases, the number of terminals of the terminal unit 310 connected to the control unit may be limited. For example, only the 21 terminals among the terminals of the terminal unit 310 can be connected to the control unit. However, when the 21 terminals of the thermal print head 300 are already connected, the type identification terminal 313 is connected to the control unit You will not be able to connect. Accordingly, in the thermal print head 300, the type identification terminal 313 may be connected to the control unit instead of the data output terminal 312, in order to connect the type identification terminal 313 and the control unit.

Of course, the connection between the other terminal of the thermal print head 300 and the control unit may be disconnected instead of the data output terminal 312, and the type identification terminal 313 may be connected to the control unit. Also, the present invention is not limited to this, and the type identification terminal 313 may be additionally connected to the control unit without disconnecting the terminals of the thermal print head 300 from the control unit.

In the example of Fig. 3, the identification information providing portion 360 may include a resistor portion 361 having a predetermined resistance value and a ground portion. The resistance element 361 may be represented by a pull-down resistance element. In one embodiment, the resistance value of the resistance element 361 may differ depending on the type of thermal print head. For example, if the thermal print head is the first thermal print head, the resistance value of the resistive element 361 may be 5 k ohms, and if the thermal print head is the second thermal print head, the resistance element 361 ) Can be 2.5 k ohms. The identification information providing unit 360 may generate different identification signals (that is, the resistance value, the voltage signal, and / or the current signal of the resistance element 361) depending on the type of the thermal print head . For example, when the type identifying signal applied through the type identifying terminal 313 has a voltage level of 5V, and the resistance value of the resistive element 361 is 5k ohms, the identification information providing unit 360 outputs 1mA And when the resistance value of the resistance element 361 is 2.5k ohms, the current level of 2 mA can be indicated as the identification information. In another example, when the type identifying signal applied through the type identifying terminal 313 has a current level of 2 mA, the resistance value of the resistive element 361 may be 5 k ohms to indicate a voltage level of 10 V as identification information , And when the resistance value of the resistance element 361 is 2.5k ohms, the voltage level of 5V can be indicated as identification information. At this time, the voltage / current level of the type identifying signal may be fixed or adjusted by the control unit. As another example, the thermal print head 300 may provide the resistance value of the resistance element 361 as identification information via the type identifying terminal 313. [

Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the resistance element 361 may be replaced by another impedance element. For example, instead of the resistance element 361, a plurality of resistance elements may be included in the identification information providing unit 360, a capacitor element may be included in the identification information providing unit 360, and the resistance element and the capacitor element may be identified May be included in the information providing unit 360.

In addition, the control unit can identify the type of the thermal print head 300 based on the identification information provided in the identification information providing unit 360. For example, in a memory unit (not shown), print type information for identifying various types of thermal print heads may be stored in the form of a lookup table. The look-up table also stores information indicating that the first thermal print head is i) the identification information is a resistance value of 5 kohm, a current level of 1 mA or a voltage level of 10 V, and ii) In the case of a resistance value, a current level of 2 mA or a voltage level of 5 V, information indicating the second thermal print head can be stored. The control unit can identify the first thermal print head or the second thermal print head through the identification information from this look-up table.

Referring to FIG. 4, the thermal print head 400 may include a terminal portion, a heat generating portion, a shift register, a latch resistor, and a thermistor like the thermal print head 300 of FIG. Unlike the identification information providing unit 360 of the thermal print head 300, however, the identification information providing unit 410 of the thermal print head 400 is provided with a lead wire connected to the grounding unit and the grounding unit and the type identifying terminal 411 . That is, the identification information providing unit 410 may be constituted by a circuit in a short-circuit state.

In one embodiment, the thermal printhead 400 may obtain a type identification signal via a type identification terminal 411. [ For example, the type identifying signal applied to the type identifying terminal 411 may be a predetermined level of voltage or a predetermined level of current. In this case, the identification information providing unit 410 may provide the voltage or current in the lead by the type identification signal as an identification signal. For example, the identification information providing unit 410 may provide a short-circuit current applied to the lead by an identification signal as an identification signal.

The control unit can identify the type of the thermal print head 400 based on the identification information provided in the identification information providing unit 410. [ For example, in the memory unit (not shown), information indicating that the third thermal print head is to be stored if the identification information is a short-circuit current. The control unit can identify the third thermal print head from this information through the identification information.

Referring to FIG. 5, the thermal print head 500 may include a terminal portion, a heat generating portion, a shift register, a latch resistor, and a thermistor like the thermal print head 300 of FIG. However, unlike the identification information providing unit 360 of the thermal print head 300, the identification information providing unit 510 of the thermal print head 500 is connected to the type identifying terminal 5110, May include non-conductive leads. That is, the identification information providing unit 510 may be constituted by a circuit in an open state.

In one embodiment, the thermal print head 500 may obtain a type identification signal via the type identification terminal 511. [ For example, the type identifying signal applied to the type identifying terminal 511 may be a predetermined level of voltage or a predetermined level of current. In this case, the identification information providing unit 410 may provide the voltage or current in the lead by the type identification signal as an identification signal. For example, the identification information providing unit 410 may provide the open-circuit voltage applied to the lead by the type identification signal as identification information.

The control unit can identify the type of the thermal print head 500 based on the identification information provided in the identification information providing unit 510. [ For example, in the memory unit (not shown), information indicating the fourth thermal print head may be stored when the identification information is an open-circuit voltage. The control unit may identify the fourth thermal print head from the stored information through the identification information.

6 is a view for explaining a thermal print head according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6, the thermal print head 600 may include a terminal portion, a heat generating portion, a shift register, a latch resistor, and a thermistor like the thermal print head 300 of FIG. However, unlike the thermal print head 300, the identification information providing portion 610 of the thermal print head 600 may be a thermistor.

The identification information providing portion 610, that is, the thermistor may include a resistive element 612 having a predetermined resistance value and a ground portion. In some embodiments of the present invention, the resistance value of the resistance element 612 may be different depending on the type of thermal print head.

For example, if the thermal print head is the first thermal print head, the resistance value of the resistance element 612 may be 4k ohms, and if the thermal print head is the second thermal print head, the resistance value of the resistance element 612 Can be 2k ohms.

In one embodiment, the identification information providing unit 610 may obtain a type identification signal from the control unit and, in accordance with the type identification signal, as the identification information, the resistance value of the resistance element of the thermistor included in the thermal print head, May provide at least one of a voltage level or a current level in the device. For example, when the resistance value of the resistance element 612 is 4k ohms, the identification information providing part 610 supplies 4k ohms, which is the resistance value of the resistance element 612, as identification information via the thermistor terminal 611 . Further, when the type identifying signal applied through the type identifying terminal 313 has a voltage level of 4 V, it can indicate a current level of 1 mA as identification information, and when the type identifying signal has a current level of 2 mA, Can represent a voltage level of 8V.

3 to 5, the controller may include print type information for identifying various types of thermal print heads, and may include identification information provided by the identification information providing unit 610 from the print type information, May be used to identify the type of thermal printhead 600

7 is a view for explaining the identification of a thermal print head based on the number of shift registers or the characteristics of a heating element of the thermal print head according to an embodiment

Referring to Fig. 7, (a) shows a heating element and a shift register of a first thermal print head, and (b) shows a heating element and a shift register of a second thermal print head. Here, the number of the heating elements or the number of the shift registers of the first thermal print head and the second thermal print head may be different from each other. For example, the number of heating elements of the first thermal print head is 512, the number of shift registers is 4, and the number of heating elements of the second thermal print head is 832 and the number of shift registers is 13.

In one embodiment, the control portion of the printer can apply a type identification signal to the first thermal print head and the second thermal print head. According to the type identification signal, the first thermal print head and the second thermal print head As the identification information, it is possible to provide the number of the heating elements or the number of the shift registers. Although not shown in FIG. 7, the type identifying signal may be applied via the type identifying terminal, and the identifying information may be provided through the type identifying signal.

3 to 5, the control unit may include print type information for identifying various types of thermal print heads, and from the print type information, the first thermal print head and the second thermal print head The identification information provided can be used to identify the type of thermal print head. For example, when the identification information indicates that the number of the heat generating elements is 512 or the number of the shift registers is 4, the information indicating the first thermal print head is stored in the print type information, Ii) Information indicating that the identification information indicates the number of the heating elements is 832 or information indicating that the number of shift registers is 13, information indicating the second thermal print head may be stored. The control unit can identify the first thermal print head or the second thermal print head from the print type information through the identification information.

In another embodiment, the heating elements of each thermal print head may have inherent resistance values. For example, the resistance value of each of the heating elements of the first thermal print head may be 30 k ohms, and the resistance value of each of the heating elements of the second thermal print head may be 20 k ohms. The control unit of the printer may apply a type identification signal to the first thermal print head and the second thermal print head, and the first thermal print head and the second thermal print head may generate thermal prints The resistance value of the heating element of the head, the voltage level or the current level of the heating element by the type identification signal.

Specifically, when the number of the heating elements of the first thermal print head is 512, according to the type identification signal, the first thermal print head has a resistance value of at least one of the 512 heating elements, To provide a voltage level or a current level in the device.

The control unit of the printer may use at least one of the resistance value of the at least one heating element, the voltage level in the at least one heating element, or the current level from the print type identification information to identify the first thermal print head or the second thermal print head Can be identified.

8 is a view for explaining identification of a thermal print head based on a signal pattern according to an embodiment.

Referring to Figure 8, the control of the printer may provide a type identification signal to the thermal print head and the thermal print head may provide an identifiable signal pattern of the type of thermal print head as identification information in accordance with the type identification signal . That is, depending on the type of the thermal print head, the signal pattern provided by the thermal print head to the control unit as the identification information may be different. For example, the thermal print head may include a signal generator, and each of the signal generators of the various types of thermal print heads may generate different signal patterns. In addition, the control unit can identify the type of the thermal print head using the signal pattern acquired from the thermal print head.

For example, in the example of FIG. 8, in accordance with the type identification signal from the control unit, as identification information, the thermal print head A provides a signal pattern 810 and the thermal print head B provides a signal pattern 820 , The thermal print head C may provide a signal pattern 830. [ The amplitude, the signal length, and the period of the signal patterns 810, 820, and 830 may be different from each other, as shown in FIG. 8, so that the signal patterns 810, 820, Can be distinguished.

3 to 5, the controller may include print type information for identifying various types of thermal print heads, and may use the signal pattern provided in each thermal print head from the print type information The type of the thermal print head can be identified.

9 is a diagram for explaining control of a strobe signal according to an embodiment.

9, when the type of the thermal print head mounted on the printer is identified, the control unit of the print sets a control signal for controlling the type of the identified thermal print head and outputs a set control signal to the thermal print head So that the thermal print head can be controlled.

To this end, the control unit may previously store control signal information indicating information on control signals corresponding to various types of thermal print heads in a memory unit (not shown) of the print. The control unit may recognize a control signal for controlling the type of thermal print head identified from the control signal information.

In one embodiment, the control unit may extract the strobe signal of the type of thermal print head identified from the control signal information.

The example of Figure 9 (a) shows the strobe signals provided to the first thermal print head. The control unit can identify the first thermal print head through the identification information. In response to the identification of the first thermal print head, the control unit may extract a first strobe signal having a duration of T1 and a second strobe signal having a duration of T2 from the control signal information. The control unit may provide the extracted first strobe signal and the second strobe signal to the first thermal print head.

In addition, the example of FIG. 9 (b) shows the strobe signals provided to the second thermal print head. For example, the critical temperature of the heating element of the second thermal print head may be lower than the critical temperature of the heating element of the first thermal print head. In this case, the control unit may extract a first strobe signal having a duration T1 'and a second strobe signal having a duration T2' from the control signal information. The control unit may provide the extracted first strobe signal and the second strobe signal to the second thermal print head.

Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the control unit may set an attribute of the control signal for controlling the identified type of thermal print head based on the control signal information.

For example, when the first thermal print head is recognized as the type of the thermal print head through the identification information, the control unit may extract, from the control signal information, the dot of the print data provided to the first thermal print head The concentration can be set. Here, the dot density represents the number of dots that can be printed in the reference length. For example, the dot density can be expressed by dots per inch (dpi). Since the number of heating elements of the thermal print head can correspond to the number of printable dots, the number of printable dots can be increased as the number of the heating elements increases. Thus, the control unit can set the dot density of the print data corresponding to the number of the heating elements of the type of the identified thermal print head as the attribute of the data signal. For example, the control unit can determine the dot density of the print data provided to the first thermal print head having 512 heating elements to be 180 dpi (= 7 dots / mm) based on the control signal information, The dot density of the print data provided to the second thermal print head can be determined as 203 dpi (= 8 dots / mm). The control unit can generate print data in accordance with the determined dot density and provide the generated print data to the thermal print head.

10 is a view for explaining control of a transmission frequency of data to be transmitted to a thermal print head according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 10, the controller 1010 may include a processor 1011 and a data transfer unit 1012. Here, the processor 1011 is an apparatus that processes processes for driving the printer, and can generate a control signal for providing to the thermal print head. For example, the processor 1011 may be a CPU, an MCU, or the like. The data transfer unit 1012 can relay the control signal generated by the processor 1011 to the thermal print head 1020 between the processor 1011 and the thermal print head 1020. [ For example, the data transfer unit 1012 may be a logical structure such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or a physical structure such as an ASIC (Application Specific IC).

In one embodiment, the data transfer unit 1012 may receive the control signals in parallel from the processor 1011 and may transmit the control signals in parallel to the thermal print head 1020. At this time, depending on the type of the thermal print head, the reception frequency (or clock frequency) of the thermal print head for receiving the control signal may be different. For example, the reception frequency of the first thermal print head may be 10 MHz and the reception frequency of the second thermal print head may be 12 MHz. As described above, the transmission frequency to the thermal print head 1020 of the data transfer unit 1012 may also be changed as the reception frequency of the thermal print head is different. If the reception frequency of the thermal print head and the transmission frequency to the thermal print head 1020 of the data transmission unit are different from each other by more than a predetermined range, an error may occur in transmission and reception of the control signal. Thus, the control unit can extract a predetermined transmission frequency from the control signal information. At this time, the predetermined transmission frequency may correspond to the reception frequency of the thermal print head 1020. The control unit may transmit a control signal to the thermal print head 1020 at the extracted predetermined frequency. As a result, errors in transmission and reception of control signals can be prevented.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, the printer may apply a type identification signal to the first thermal print head (1110).

In addition, if the identification information for identifying the type of the first thermal print head is indicated by the first thermal print head in accordance with the type identification signal, the printer determines the type of the first thermal print head based on the indicated identification signal (1120).

The printer may also set a control signal for controlling the first thermal print head according to the type of the first thermal print head (1130).

Further, the printer can control the first thermal print head using the set control signal (1140).

At this time, at least some of the attributes of the control signal for controlling the first thermal print head may be different from at least some of the attributes of the control signal for controlling the second thermal print head, the type of which is different from that of the first thermal print head . Accordingly, the printer can control the thermal print head to match the type of the thermal print head.

The contents of the control method of the printer shown in FIG. 11 through FIG. 1 through FIG. 10 may be applied as they are, and therefore, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The method according to an embodiment may be implemented in the form of a program command that can be executed through various computer means and recorded in a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program instructions to be recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and configured for the embodiments or may be available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magnetic media such as floppy disks; Magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include machine language code such as those produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiments, and vice versa.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. For example, it is to be understood that the techniques described may be performed in a different order than the described methods, and / or that components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, Lt; / RTI > or equivalents, even if it is replaced or replaced.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (1)

In a printer capable of mounting various types of thermal print heads,
A head receiving portion capable of mounting various types of thermal print heads; And
A controller for controlling the first thermal print head in accordance with the type of the first thermal print head when the first thermal print head is mounted on the head receiving portion,
Lt; / RTI >
Identification information for identifying the type of the first thermal print head is indicated by the first thermal print head in accordance with the type identification signal applied to the first thermal print head,
Wherein,
Identifying a type of the first thermal print head based on the indicated identification signal, setting a control signal for controlling the first thermal print head in accordance with the type of the first thermal print head, The first thermal print head is controlled using the first thermal print head,
Characterized in that at least some of the attributes of the control signal for controlling the first thermal print head are different from at least some of the attributes of the control signal for controlling the second thermal print head of a different type than the first thermal print head ,
Printer capable of mounting various types of thermal print heads.

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