KR20200065840A - Method for controlling stepping motor of printing device and printing device for performing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided in the present invention are a stepping motor control method for a printing device and a printing device for performing the same. Here, the printing device comprises: a power supply unit which supplies electricity for operating the printing device; a stepping motor for transporting paper when a printing process is performed; a motor operation control unit which operates the stepping motor; a boost converter which amplifies a voltage outputted from the power supply unit to apply the same to the motor operation control unit; a storage unit in which a program is stored for controlling the stepping motor; and a control unit which executes the program to operate the boost converter only in a section in which torque reinforcement of the stepping motor is necessary, thereby amplifying the voltage. Therefore, heat radiation and electricity consumption can be reduced.

Description

Method for controlling a stepping motor of a printing device and a printing device for performing the same {METHOD FOR CONTROLLING STEPPING MOTOR OF PRINTING DEVICE AND PRINTING DEVICE FOR PERFORMING THE SAME}

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method for controlling a stepping motor responsible for conveying paper within a printing apparatus, and a printing apparatus for performing the same.

A stepping motor may be provided inside the printing apparatus to handle paper transfer. The stepping motor is a motor that rotates in proportion to the number of pulses included in the driving signal, and the printing apparatus may allow the paper to be transported as desired by adjusting the driving signal.

In the case of a portable printing device, power is often supplied by a battery, and since the voltage that can be supplied to the battery is limited, it is common to use a boost converter to sufficiently secure the torque of the stepping motor. However, when the voltage applied to the stepping motor is amplified using the boost converter, there is a problem in that heat generation of the battery or the motor increases and power consumed by the printing device increases.

In the related art, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0420810, which is a prior art document, discloses a method for selectively controlling a motor according to the number of cartridges of an inkjet printer, and in detail, a stepping motor according to a selected time table based on the number of heads Disclosed is a content that reduces noise generated when driving the stepping motor and improves print quality by driving.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned background technology is the technical information acquired by the inventor for the derivation of the present invention or acquired in the derivation process of the present invention, and is not necessarily a known technology disclosed to the general public before filing the present invention. .

Embodiments disclosed herein provide a driving method of a stepping motor capable of reducing heat generation and power consumption while sufficiently securing torque of the stepping motor, and a printing apparatus for performing the same.

According to an embodiment of the present invention as a technical means for achieving the above-described technical problem, the printing apparatus includes a power supply unit for supplying electric power for driving the printing apparatus, a stepping motor for transferring paper when performing a print job, and the stepping motor A motor driving control unit for driving, a boost converter for amplifying the voltage output from the power supply unit and applying it to the motor driving control unit, a storage unit for storing a program for controlling the stepping motor, and the stepping motor by executing the program It may include a control unit for amplifying the voltage by driving the boost converter only in the section where the torque enhancement of the need.

According to another embodiment, a method of controlling a stepping motor of a printing apparatus includes: starting a paper feed for a print job, driving a boost converter provided in the printing apparatus only in a section in which torque enhancement of the stepping motor is required, Amplifying and outputting a voltage for driving the stepping motor and driving the stepping motor using the output voltage may include transferring the paper.

According to another embodiment, as a computer program for performing a method of controlling a stepping motor of a printing apparatus, the method of controlling a stepping motor includes: starting a paper feed for a print job, and the torque of the stepping motor needs to be strengthened And driving the boost converter provided in the printing device only in the section, amplifying and outputting a voltage for driving the stepping motor, and driving the stepping motor using the output voltage to transfer the paper. can do.

According to another embodiment, a computer-readable recording medium in which a program for performing a method of controlling a stepping motor of a printing apparatus is recorded, wherein the method of controlling a stepping motor comprises: starting a paper feed for a print job, Driving a boost converter provided in the printing apparatus only in a section in which torque enhancement of the stepping motor is required, amplifying and outputting a voltage for driving the stepping motor, and driving the stepping motor using the output voltage It may include the step of transferring the paper.

According to any one of the above-mentioned problem solving means, the boost converter is operated only in a section in which the torque of the stepping motor is required to be amplified to amplify the voltage applied to the motor drive control unit, thereby reducing the heat generation while ensuring the stepping motor has sufficient torque and printing The effect of reducing the power consumption of the device can be expected.

In addition, according to any one of the above-described problem solving means, it is possible to minimize heat generation and power consumption due to voltage amplification by adjusting the voltage rise time of the boost converter according to the printing speed.

In addition, according to any one of the above-described problem solving means, it is possible to minimize heat generation and power consumption due to voltage amplification by adjusting the duty ratio of the control signal applied to the boost converter according to the printing speed.

The effects obtained in the disclosed embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned are obvious to those skilled in the art to which the embodiments disclosed from the following description belong. Can be understood.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment.
2 to 5 are flowcharts for explaining a method of controlling a stepping motor of the printing apparatus according to the embodiments.
6 and 7 are diagrams showing a configuration of a printing apparatus according to other embodiments.
8 and 9 are flowcharts for describing a control method of a printing apparatus according to other embodiments.

Hereinafter, various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below may be embodied in various different forms. In order to more clearly describe the features of the embodiments, detailed descriptions of the items well known to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the following embodiments pertain are omitted. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description of the embodiments are omitted, and like reference numerals are assigned to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a component is "connected" to another component, this includes not only "directly connected" but also "connected with other components in between". In addition, when a configuration is said to "include" a configuration, this means that unless otherwise stated, other configurations are not excluded and may include other configurations.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment includes a battery 110, a boost converter 120, a motor driving control unit 130, a stepping motor 140, and a control unit It may include 150 and the storage unit 160.

The battery 110 is configured to supply power required for the operation of the printing apparatus 100. The embodiments described herein are applied to the printing device 100 including the boost converter 120, and in general, the printing device 100 driven by the battery 110 has a limited voltage of the battery 110. Since the boost converter 120 is included to overcome the level, the printing apparatus 100 including the battery 110 is described as a representative embodiment. However, it is apparent that the embodiments described below may be applied to a printing apparatus including a boost converter even if the battery 110 does not include the power and is supplied with power from an external power source. In particular, even when the printing apparatus 100 is supplied with a low voltage direct current power through a USB port, the boost converter 120 is used for voltage amplification and the embodiments described below may be equally applied.

The boost converter 120 is configured to amplify the voltage output from the battery 110 and apply it to the motor driving control unit 130 driving the stepping motor 140. In general, the battery 110 is limited in terms of voltage levels that can be supplied due to size and capacity limitations. Therefore, the stepping motor 140 may not secure a sufficient torque with the voltage supplied by the battery 110, so the printing apparatus 100 may use the boost converter 120 to solve this problem. The boost converter 120 performs voltage amplification according to a control signal received from the controller 150, and circuit structures that perform a known voltage amplification function may be used.

The motor driving control unit 130 is a configuration for driving the stepping motor 140. The motor driving control unit 130 may drive the stepping motor 140 with the voltage received from the boost converter 120. For example, the motor driving control unit 130 may be implemented as a motor driver IC.

The stepping motor 140 is a motor that rotates in proportion to the number of pulses included in the driving signal and is responsible for conveying paper output from the printing apparatus 100. The magnitude of the torque required for the stepping motor 140 when the printing apparatus 100 performs a print job may vary depending on the operating state of the stepping motor 140 or the conveying state of the paper. For example, when the stepping motor 140 stops rotating and then starts to rotate again, that is, a higher torque is required than the other timing at the time of step movement. In addition, the die-cut part of the paper causes friction with the TPH (Thermal Print Head), so even in a section where the mechanical load is severe, a higher torque is required than at other times.

As described above, it is required that the torque of the stepping motor 140 is high in some sections during the execution of the print job. If the boost converter 120 is continuously driven to amplify the voltage in all sections where the print job is performed, high torque is required. The voltage is amplified even in a period where it is not, and heat generation may be severe and power consumption may increase.

Accordingly, in the embodiment described below, the controller 150 applies a control signal to the boost converter 120 so that the boost converter 120 amplifies the voltage only in a section in which torque enhancement of the stepping motor 140 is required.

The control unit 150 is a configuration including at least one processor such as a CPU, and controls the overall operation of the printing apparatus 100. In particular, the control unit 150 may control the amplification of the voltage output from the battery 110 by applying a control signal to the boost converter 120 as described above. In addition, the control unit 150 may control the driving of the stepping motor 140 by applying a control signal to the motor driving control unit 130.

A specific method of controlling the driving of the stepping motor 140 by applying a control signal to at least one of the boost converter 120 and the motor driving controller 130 is as follows.

The control unit 150 identifies a section in which the torque enhancement of the stepping motor 140 is required while the print job is being performed. In detail, the control unit 150 determines that the step of the stepping motor 140 needs to be strengthened in torque when the stepping motor 140 is moving. Alternatively, if the die cut of the paper causes friction with the TPH, the control unit 150 determines that the torque strengthening of the stepping motor 140 is necessary. In addition, the controller 150 may determine a section in which torque enhancement of the stepping motor 140 is necessary based on various conditions.

The controller 150 applies a control signal to the boost converter 120 so that the boost converter 120 amplifies the voltage output from the battery 110 in a section in which the stepping motor 140 needs to increase torque. Accordingly, the boost converter 120 is turned on only in a section in which torque enhancement of the stepping motor 140 is required to amplify the voltage to ensure sufficient torque of the stepping motor 140 while preventing unnecessary heat generation and minimizing power consumption. can do.

In applying the control signal for voltage amplification to the boost converter 120, the controller 150 may optimize torque enhancement, heat generation, and power consumption reduction by varying the voltage rise time according to the printing speed. In this case, the voltage rise time means the length of the section in which the boost converter 120 performs voltage amplification.

The higher the printing speed, the faster the transfer of the paper, and the shorter the section requiring torque enhancement, so the required voltage rise time may also be shortened. Therefore, the control unit 150 may check the print speed, and control the boost converter 120 such that the voltage rise time becomes shorter as the print speed increases.

For example, the controller 150 may check the voltage rise time corresponding to the printing speed, and apply the generated control signal to the boost converter 120 according to the identified voltage rise time. To this end, information on a voltage rise time corresponding to each section of the printing speed may be previously stored in the storage 160.

The corresponding voltage rise time for each section of the printing speed may be determined in advance by experiments to optimize torque enhancement, heat generation, and power consumption reduction. For example, the required voltage rise time for each section of the printing speed may vary according to specifications such as the rated output voltage of the battery 110 mounted on the printing apparatus 100, so that the printing speed is set for each specification of the battery 110. It can be divided into the above steps, and the required voltage rise time for each step can be determined in advance to store information on the voltage in the storage unit 160.

The control unit 150 may optimize torque enhancement, heat generation, and power consumption reduction by adjusting the duty ratio of the control signal applied to the boost converter 120 according to the printing speed.

The higher the printing speed, the larger the amount of torque required instantaneously, so the duty ratio of the required control signal can also be increased. Therefore, the control unit 150 may check the printing speed, and the higher the printing speed, the higher the duty ratio of the control signal applied to the boost converter 120.

For example, the controller 150 may check the duty ratio of the control signal corresponding to the printing speed, and apply the generated control signal to the boost converter 120 according to the checked duty ratio. To this end, information on the duty ratio of the control signal corresponding to each section of the printing speed may be previously stored in the storage 160.

The duty ratio of the corresponding control signal for each section of the printing speed may be determined in advance by experiments or the like to optimize torque enhancement, heat generation, and power consumption reduction. For example, the duty ratio of the control signal required for each section of the printing speed may vary according to specifications such as the rated output voltage of the battery 110 mounted in the printing apparatus 100, and thus the printing speed for each specification of the battery 110 It may be divided into two or more steps, and a duty ratio of a control signal required for each step may be determined in advance to store information on this in the storage 160.

Adjustment of the duty ratio of the control signal may be performed together with the adjustment of the voltage rise time. For example, if the required voltage rise time is high due to a high printing speed, the duty ratio of the control signal to secure sufficient torque. You can also increase To this end, the voltage rise time and duty ratio corresponding to each printing speed may be stored in the storage 160 together.

Various types of programs and data may be stored in the storage 160. Particularly, a program for the control unit 150 to control the boost converter 120 and the stepping motor 140 may be stored in the storage unit 160, and the control unit 150 may perform control by executing the stored program. have. Further, as described above, the storage unit 160 may store information on a corresponding voltage rise time for each printing speed and a duty ratio of a control signal.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the stepping motor 140 in the printing apparatus 100 as described above will be described. 2 to 5 are flowcharts for explaining a method of controlling a stepping motor of the printing apparatus according to the embodiments. The control method of the stepping motor according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 includes steps processed in time series in the printing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, even if omitted below, the contents described above with respect to the printing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 can be applied to the control method of the stepping motor according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 5.

Referring to FIG. 2, in step 201, the printing apparatus 100 starts conveying paper for a print job.

In step 202, the control unit 150 of the printing apparatus 100 amplifies the voltage applied to the motor driving control unit 130 by driving the boost converter 120 only in a section in which the torque of the stepping motor 140 needs to be strengthened. The control unit 150 may minimize generation of heat generation and power consumption due to voltage amplification by not driving the boost converter 120 unless the section in which the torque enhancement of the stepping motor 140 is required. A detailed process of determining whether the control unit 150 is a section in which torque enhancement of the stepping motor 140 is necessary and applying a control signal to the boost converter 120 according to the result will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 below. do.

In step 203, the motor driving control unit 130 of the printing apparatus 100 drives the stepping motor 140 to convey the paper. When the boost converter 120 is driven and the voltage applied to the motor driving control unit 130 is amplified, the motor driving control unit 130 drives the stepping motor 140 with the amplified voltage, thereby increasing the torque of the stepping motor 140. Can be maintained. Conversely, if the boost converter 120 is not driven and the voltage output from the battery 110 is applied to the motor driving control unit 130 as it is, the torque of the stepping motor 140 is maintained lower than when the voltage is amplified, but the amount of heat is generated accordingly. And power consumption is also reduced.

The process of driving the boost converter 120 only in a section in which the torque enhancement of the stepping motor 140 is required in step 202 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 below. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating specific steps included in step 202 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3, in step 301, the control unit 150 checks at least one of an operation state of the stepping motor 140 and a transport state of the paper. Since the control unit 150 directly applies a control signal for driving the stepping motor 140 to the motor driving control unit 130, it is possible to grasp the operating state of the stepping motor 140. In other words, the control unit 150 may determine whether or not it is a step moving time of the stepping motor 140 from a control signal applied to the motor driving control unit 130. In addition, the control unit 150 may grasp the transport state of the paper by using a sensor or the like installed on the transport path of the paper. In other words, the control unit 150 may determine whether or not the die cut of the paper is a section rubbing with the TPH.

In step 302, the controller 150 determines whether at least one of the operation state of the stepping motor 140 and the transport state of the paper checked in step 301 satisfies a preset condition. For example, the control unit 150 determines whether it corresponds to the step moving time of the stepping motor 140, whether the die cut of the paper corresponds to a section rubbing with the TPH, or whether both conditions are satisfied.

As a result of the determination, if at least one of the two conditions is satisfied, the process proceeds to step 303 and the control unit 150 applies a control signal to the boost converter 120 for amplifying the voltage applied to the motor drive control unit 130. Accordingly, the boost converter 120 amplifies the voltage output from the battery 110 and then applies it to the motor driving control unit 130, and the motor driving control unit 130 drives the stepping motor 140 with the amplified voltage. Can be. Meanwhile, the controller 150 may proceed to step 303 only when both conditions are satisfied, or when either one of the two conditions is satisfied.

Conversely, if both conditions are not satisfied, the process proceeds to step 304 and the controller 150 does not apply a control signal to the boost converter 120. Accordingly, since the boost converter 120 is off, the voltage output from the battery 110 is applied to the motor driving control unit 130 in a non-amplified state. Meanwhile, if only one of the two conditions is satisfied, the controller 150 may proceed to step 304.

Meanwhile, in step 303, the control unit 150 amplifies the voltage by applying a control signal to the boost converter 120, so that the voltage rise time of the boost converter 120 and the boost converter 120 are applied according to the printing speed. By adjusting at least one of the duty ratios of the control signal, it is possible to optimize torque enhancement and heat and power consumption reduction. The process of the control unit 150 adjusting at least one of the voltage rise time of the boost converter 120 and the duty ratio of the control signal applied to the booster converter 120 according to the printing speed is described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 below. Explain in detail. 4 and 5 are flowcharts for explaining specific steps included in step 303 of FIG. 3, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 4, in step 401, the controller 150 checks the printing speed of the printing apparatus 100.

In step 402, the control unit 150 checks the voltage rise time corresponding to the confirmed printing speed. Since the time required to increase the torque of the stepping motor 140 may vary depending on the printing speed, an appropriate voltage rise time may be set in advance for each printing speed. In addition, an appropriate voltage rise time may be set in advance according to specifications such as the rated output voltage of the battery 110. For example, the printing speed is divided into two or more stages for each standard of the battery 110, and the required voltage rise time is determined in advance for each stage, and information about the voltage is stored in the storage unit 160 in advance, and then the controller 150. Can approach the storage unit 160 to check the voltage rise time corresponding to the confirmed printing speed.

In step 403, the controller 150 may amplify the voltage output from the battery 110 and apply it to the motor driving controller 130 by applying the generated control signal to the boost converter 120 according to the identified voltage rise time. have.

Referring to FIG. 5, in step 501, the controller 150 checks the printing speed of the printing apparatus 100.

In step 502, the control unit 150 checks the duty ratio of the control signal corresponding to the checked print speed. Since the magnitude of the torque of the stepping motor 140 required instantaneously varies according to the printing speed, the duty ratio of the appropriate control signal can be set in advance for each printing speed. In addition, the duty ratio of the appropriate control signal may be set in advance according to a standard such as the rated output voltage of the battery 110. For example, the printing speed is divided into two or more stages for each standard of the battery 110, the duty ratio of the control signal required for each stage is determined in advance, and the information on this is previously stored in the storage unit 160, and the control unit ( 150) may approach the storage 160 to check the duty ratio of the control signal corresponding to the confirmed print speed.

In step 503, the controller 150 may amplify the voltage output from the battery 110 and apply it to the motor driving controller 130 by applying the generated control signal to the boost converter 120 according to the checked duty ratio. .

4 and 5 have been described with respect to an embodiment in which either the voltage rise time of the boost converter 120 and the duty ratio of the control signal applied to the boost converter 120 are adjusted according to the printing speed, respectively. Therefore, it is as described above that the voltage rise time and the duty ratio of the control signal can be adjusted.

Hereinafter, printing devices having different internal configurations according to other embodiments will be described. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing a configuration of a printing apparatus according to other embodiments.

The printing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 6 is different from the printing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 in that it further includes a step-down converter 170. The step-down converter 170 is configured to depressurize the voltage output from the battery 110 and apply it to the motor driving control unit 130, and may be selectively connected to and parallel to the boost converter 120.

For example, the control unit 150 may step-in the section in which a torque of the stepping motor 140 is required below a predetermined reference during a print job, that is, a section in which only a voltage below a predetermined reference is required for driving the stepping motor 140 The down converter 170 may apply a control signal to the step-down converter 170 to depressurize the output voltage of the battery 110. Accordingly, it is possible to expect an effect of preventing unnecessary heat generation and reducing power consumption by lowering the driving voltage of the stepping motor 140 in some sections.

The printing device 100 shown in FIG. 7 is different from the printing device 100 shown in FIG. 1 in that it includes a printing unit 180 instead of the motor driving control unit 130 and the stepping motor 140 There is. The printing unit 180 is a configuration for performing printing, and may be, for example, a configuration including a TPH (Thermal Print Head) module.

In the printing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 7, the boost converter 120 amplifies the output voltage of the battery 110 and then applies it to the printing unit 180. The control unit 150 may apply a control signal to the boost converter 120 so that the boost converter 120 amplifies the voltage only in a section in which the driving voltage required by the printing unit 180 is higher than a certain reference.

In general, since the printing unit 180 needs a higher driving voltage as the amount of print data to be output increases, the controller 150 may control the operation of the boost converter 120 based on the amount of print data. For example, the control unit 150 prevents unnecessary heat generation by boosting the output voltage of the battery 110 and applying it to the printing unit 180 only when the amount of print data is greater than or equal to a predetermined predetermined standard. The effect of reducing power consumption can be expected.

At this time, the control unit 150 generates heat and consumes by varying the voltage rise time according to the printing speed or adjusting the duty ratio of the control signal applied to the boost converter 120, as described in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 above. Power reduction can also be optimized.

In addition, further comprising a step-down converter connected in parallel with the boost converter 120, the control unit 150 boost converter 120 only in a section where the driving voltage required by the printing unit 180 is higher than a certain standard By applying a control signal to the boost converter 120 to amplify the voltage, an effect of preventing unnecessary heat generation and reducing power consumption may be expected.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the control method of the printing apparatus implemented by the printing apparatus of FIG. 7 is demonstrated.

Referring to FIG. 8, in step 1001, the printing apparatus 100 receives print data from a host apparatus. Alternatively, the printing apparatus 100 may perform a print job using print data stored in advance in the storage 160.

In step 1002, the control unit 150 in the printing apparatus 100 drives the boost converter 120 only in a section in which the size of the driving voltage required by the printing unit 180 is greater than or equal to a predetermined standard, and the voltage applied to the printing unit 180 Amplify.

In step 1003, the printing unit 180 outputs print data.

9 shows detailed steps included in step 1002 of FIG. 8. Referring to FIG. 9, the control unit 150 checks the amount of print data in step 1101, and determines in step 1102 whether the amount of print data is greater than or equal to a predetermined predetermined criterion.

As a result of the determination, if the amount of print data is greater than or equal to a predetermined predetermined reference, the control proceeds to step 1103, and the controller 150 applies a control signal to the boost converter 120 for amplifying the voltage applied to the print unit 180, The boost converter 120 amplifies the output voltage of the battery 110 and applies it to the printing unit 180.

Conversely, if the amount of print data is less than a predetermined predetermined threshold, the control proceeds to step 1104, and the controller 150 does not apply a control signal to the boost converter 120.

The term'~unit' used in the above embodiments means software or hardware components such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an ASIC, and'~unit' performs certain roles. However,'~ wealth' is not limited to software or hardware. The'~ unit' may be configured to be in an addressable storage medium or may be configured to reproduce one or more processors. Thus, as an example,'~ unit' refers to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, and procedures. , Subroutines, segments of program patent code, drive controls, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, database, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.

The functions provided within the components and'~units' may be combined into a smaller number of components and'~units', or separated from additional components and'~units'.

In addition, the components and'~ unit' may be implemented to play one or more CPUs in the device or secure multimedia card.

The control method of the stepping motor of the printing apparatus according to the embodiments described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5, 8 and 9 is also in the form of a computer-readable medium storing instructions and data executable by a computer. Can be implemented. At this time, instructions and data may be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, a predetermined program module may be generated to perform a predetermined operation. In addition, the computer-readable medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. In addition, the computer-readable medium may be a computer recording medium, which is volatile and non-volatile implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Volatile, removable and non-removable media. For example, the computer recording medium may be a magnetic storage medium such as HDD and SSD, an optical recording medium such as CD, DVD and Blu-ray disk, or a memory included in a server accessible through a network.

In addition, the control method of the stepping motor of the printing apparatus according to the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, 8 and 9 may be implemented as a computer program (or computer program product) including instructions executable by a computer. It might be. The computer program includes programmable machine instructions processed by a processor and may be implemented in a high-level programming language, object-oriented programming language, assembly language, or machine language. . In addition, the computer program may be recorded on a tangible computer-readable recording medium (eg, memory, hard disk, magnetic/optical medium, or solid-state drive (SSD)).

Accordingly, the method of controlling the stepping motor of the printing apparatus according to the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, 8 and 9 may be implemented by executing the computer program as described above by the computing device. The computing device may include at least some of a processor, a memory, a storage device, a high-speed interface connected to the memory and a high-speed expansion port, and a low-speed interface connected to the low-speed bus and the storage device. Each of these components is connected to each other using various buses, and can be mounted on a common motherboard or mounted in other suitable ways.

Here, the processor is capable of processing instructions within the computing device, such as to display graphical information for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) on an external input or output device, such as a display connected to a high-speed interface. Examples are commands stored in memory or storage devices. In other embodiments, multiple processors and/or multiple buses may be used in conjunction with multiple memories and memory types as appropriate. Also, the processor may be implemented as a chipset formed by chips including a plurality of independent analog and/or digital processors.

Memory also stores information within computing devices. In one example, the memory may consist of volatile memory units or a collection thereof. As another example, the memory may consist of non-volatile memory units or a collection thereof. The memory may also be other forms of computer-readable media, such as magnetic or optical disks.

And the storage device can provide a large storage space for the computing device. The storage device may be a computer-readable medium or a configuration including such a medium, and may include, for example, devices within a storage area network (SAN) or other configurations, and may include floppy disk devices, hard disk devices, optical disk devices, Or a tape device, flash memory, or other similar semiconductor memory device or device array.

The above-described embodiments are for illustration only, and those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the above-described embodiments belong can easily be modified into other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features of the above-described embodiments. You will understand. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope to be protected through the present specification is indicated by the claims, which will be described later, rather than the detailed description, and should be interpreted to include all modified or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the equivalent concept. .

100: printing device 110: battery
120: boost converter 130: motor drive control
140: stepping motor 150: control unit
160: storage

Claims (16)

In the printing device,
A power supply unit supplying electric power for driving the printing apparatus;
A stepping motor for conveying paper when performing a print job;
A motor drive control unit for driving the stepping motor;
A boost converter for amplifying the voltage output from the power supply and applying it to the motor driving control unit;
A storage unit for storing a program for controlling the stepping motor; And
And a control unit that amplifies the voltage by driving the boost converter only in a section in which torque enhancement of the stepping motor is required by executing the program. According to claim 1,
The control unit,
Apparatus characterized in that it is determined whether or not the step to increase the torque of the stepping motor based on at least one of the operating state of the stepping motor and the conveying state of the paper. According to claim 2,
The control unit,
If the stepping motor is a step movement time, it characterized in that it is determined that the step is required to strengthen the torque of the stepping motor. According to claim 2,
The control unit,
If the die cut of the paper is a section that is in friction with the TPH (Thermal Print Head) provided in the printing apparatus, the apparatus characterized in that it is determined that the torque strengthening section of the stepping motor. According to claim 1,
The control unit,
Device for adjusting the voltage rise time of the boost converter in accordance with the printing speed. According to claim 1,
The control unit,
Device for adjusting the duty ratio of the control signal applied to the boost converter in accordance with the printing speed. According to claim 1,
The power supply is a battery,
In the storage unit, information on at least one of a voltage rise time and a duty ratio corresponding to each of two or more print speed stages is stored for each battery standard,
The control unit generates a control signal according to at least one of a voltage rise time and a duty ratio corresponding to a printing speed with reference to the stored information, and applies the generated control signal to the boost converter. In the method of controlling the stepping motor of the printing apparatus,
Starting a paper feed for a print job;
Driving a boost converter provided in the printing apparatus only in a section in which torque enhancement of the stepping motor is necessary, and amplifying and outputting a voltage for driving the stepping motor; And
And driving the stepping motor using the output voltage to transfer the paper. The method of claim 8,
The step of amplifying and outputting the voltage,
Determining whether or not the stepping motor needs to be torque-enhanced based on at least one of an operation state of the stepping motor and a transport state of the paper; And
And as a result of the determination, applying a control signal to the boost converter so that the boost converter amplifies the voltage when the torque stepping of the stepping motor is required. The method of claim 9,
The step of determining whether or not the stepping motor needs to be torque-enhanced is:
If the stepping motor is a step movement time, it characterized in that it is determined that the step is required to strengthen the torque of the stepping motor. The method of claim 9,
The step of determining whether or not the stepping motor needs to be torque-enhanced is:
If the die cut of the paper is a section that is in friction with the TPH (Thermal Print Head) provided in the printing device, it is determined that the step is required to strengthen the torque of the stepping motor. The method of claim 9,
Applying a control signal to the boost converter,
Checking the printing speed;
Checking a voltage rise time corresponding to the checked printing speed; And
And applying the generated control signal to the boost converter according to the identified voltage rise time. The method of claim 9,
Applying a control signal to the boost converter,
Checking the printing speed;
Checking a duty ratio of a control signal corresponding to the checked print speed; And
And applying a control signal generated according to the checked duty ratio to the boost converter. The method of claim 9,
When the printing device is supplied with power from a battery,
Applying a control signal to the boost converter,
Checking the printing speed;
Checking at least one of a voltage rise time and a duty ratio corresponding to the specification and printing speed of the battery; And
And generating a control signal according to at least one of the identified voltage rise time and duty ratio, and applying the generated control signal to the boost converter. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for performing the method according to claim 8 is recorded. A computer program carried out by a printing apparatus and stored in a medium to perform the method according to claim 8.

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