JPS5859089A - Return printing method for line printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable to conduct overlap printing of characters and synthesizing of characters to be printed, in the same manner as in a serial printer, by returning a paper when the control code for the preceding line is a return code at the stage where reception of data on the next line is finished. CONSTITUTION:By the function of a controlling part 4, whether the control code contained in an input is a return code or other code is stored into a memory incorporated in the controlling part 4. Simultaneously, the signal processed by the controlling part 4 is fed to a converting circuit 5 for printing data, and a signal from a character-generating part 6 is converted and is inputted into a printer driver 8. When the next printing data are inputted, and if the control code in the preceding printing data sotred in the controlling part 4 is a return code, the controlling part 4 operates to return the paper at the stage where the reception of the next data is finished.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention applies to printers used as terminal devices in online systems such as databases (stored information) that can be searched and used via communication lines. [This relates to a restoration printing method for the printing section of a printer belonging to line printers (-).

There are various known types of line printers. In the following explanation, an example is given for a thermal line head (thermal printer) which is widely used in practical use, but the present invention is not limited to thermal printers, but can be applied to general line printers. Applicable 7. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a configuration example of a terminal device using a thermal printer embodying the present invention. In Fig. 1, 1 is a modem interface, and data from a communication line is given to this human power. 2 is a keyboard, 3 is a keyboard interface, and 4 is a controller which processes data input from 1 and 3 and controls a print data conversion circuit 5 and a motor drive circuit 7.

Note that line printers generally have a built-in memory for one line of characters, and this memory is generally provided in the control section. 6 is a character generator, 8 is a printer driver, 9 is a step motor, ]lHi thermal line head, ■■ is a platen, and 12 is thermal paper. The parts other than 1.2.8 in FIG. 1 constitute a thermal printer. When print data is sent from the communication line, this signal changes the print data ((d
In the 3 circuit 5, the character pattern line head 10 corresponding to the signal from the character generating section 6 is printed (1-j''''j is sent to make the printing 1-1, and the motor driver 7 is sent to the character pattern line head 10 corresponding to the signal from the character generating section 6.・The C-pulse motor 9 is operated in the forward or reverse direction (platen 1 by rotating twice) according to the human control from the printer driver 8, and as a result, the thermal paper 1
If 2 is pulled, 11 is printed on the paper and output. In this section, we will explain the line head printing.

The characters to be printed are stacked! 7th row, l+' (f1 row tonneau I・
In the case of a matrix configuration, the thermal head prints 9 lines of dots and prints 111 characters in 1J.

By applying pulses to the thermal paper in contact with the Zunawara thermal head at 8-inch intervals and moving the throat 9 times vertically, the paper prints 4" horizontally and 1 character line at a time. is printed. The space between character lines is, for example, 5
Dot minutes. FIG. 2 shows this in detail. (2) The printing of the line head is visible only after nine dot line printing operations are completed. In this case, in conventional thermal printers, when the printing operation is completed, the printing paper automatically moves to the F direction due to the line feed, but line printers are generally characterized by high-speed printing and fewer drive units. The disadvantage is that it does not have a carriage return mechanism, and therefore it is extremely difficult to return when a line return operation is required for character correction IE, etc., as explained next. Ta. In other words, the line return operation is necessary not only for character correction and erasure, but also for the following passwords.
This is because a password may be sent and a password or the like may be requested to be erased by double printing.

“What is the password?゛■■＋＋41＋＝１１■−庄−＄＄＄＄＄＄＄■゛°(CR stands for carriage return (return), LF stands for line feed (line feed), and the password is (As is well known, it is used for data protection management) But what about the password? 0) 11 is LF, so it is still 5, but the subsequent lines are returned and printed as follows. It turns out.

The password is? ZZZZZZZZZ, (Z is actually a double bracket of ≠ and $) To explain with Figure 2, the carriage return j-j in the state of D in line 9 and 11 is the result of changing from the state of "l)" to "A゛Return to the ° state -4-, otherwise you cannot combine double-enclosed characters or characters.In this way, the head position is in the A state (21). There are three methods: , (2) return the paper, and (3) combine the characters in the control i+IIl!Is print buffer and print them. There are three methods, but (1) requires a manual mechanism. ) is synthesized in the memory, so it takes a long time and the printing speed decreases by 10[.], so method (2) is the simplest. ing.

In the present invention, as a means for line return operation in a one-line head printer, when printing one line of characters, it is stored whether or not the control code of that printing is a predetermined return (command) code, and the next line is returned. If the control code for the previous line is a return code at the end of reception, the platen is reversed by the step motor that returns the paper), and then the printing operation for that 1 line is executed, giving the appearance of a return printing operation. It is characterized by making it equivalent to what was done, and this will be explained in more detail below.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the printing operation of a thermal printer embodying the present invention. In the figure, 21 is a thermal line head, 22
is a platen, and 28 is thermal paper.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operation of the printer after data input, in which (A) shows key-in, (B) data reception, and (C) printer operation. If a printing command is now issued from the control unit 4 in FIG. This is the 8th
As shown in Figure (A), the thermal line head 21 is connected to the thermal paper 2.
3 (= platen 2 that prints and is rotated by a step motor
This is an operation in which the thermal paper 23 is fed in the forward and the same rotations by the rotations 2 and 2.

Next, the operation of the control section 4 will be further explained.

Print data to the control oil section 4.) from the modem interface via the communication line, and from the keyboard 2 by operator operation. , there is somewhere around 9th,
The control 6111 section records in the internal memory whether the control 41'll code included in the manual is a return code or if there is another control 2J-doC. The print data processed in the unit 111 is sent to the circuit 5, whereupon the character generating unit 6 converts the print data to the printer driver 8.

Then, when the next print data (for example, Figure 4 (B)) is input, the control code of the previous data in the first part 4 is stored as 1 (Return ()) as shown in Figure 4 (A). If it is the gear ridge return) code (“Clt”), use Figure 1B11 (
13) When the data reception is completed, the control unit returns the paper as shown in FIG. 3 (I3). The number of pulses for printing lines and space lines on the thermal paper 23 (in the example shown in the fourth figure, 9 pulses for printing from spaces SP to I and 5 pulses for space lines (not shown)) 49fHIt motor 9 After rotating the platen 22 in the reverse direction, one line of data is printed and a line feed is performed as shown in FIG. 3(C). If the memory in the control unit is not a return code, paper return control is not performed and normal printing line feed is performed. CB) (C) in Figure 4 explains this, and in (B) manually, paper return, printing, and line feed are performed in order due to the CR code of (A>, but the following (not shown) When data printing in D) is performed, the control code in (B), which is the previous input, is LF (line feed code), so the paper is not returned and only printing and line feed are performed.When (B) is printed As shown in FIG. 3(C), A-E in (B) is printed at the location of the 5 space (SP) pulses in (French), and this is an example of correction and addition.

In the above description, the method of driving a thermal line printer using a pulse motor and the method of printing using a thermal printer are well known and are therefore omitted.

As explained above, printers using a 4-line head are capable of high-speed printing and have a simple drive mechanism. 2 (As is well known, serial printers print characters in a Maywriter style (prints 21 characters at a time, so recovery is easy, but the printing speed is slow). It becomes possible to synthesize
Using a line printer for teletype and T S
New uses have opened up, such as using it as a 1111ile for terminal devices of S (11, 'i split system).

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a terminal device using a thermal printer in which the present invention is applied; An explanatory diagram of the printing operation, Figure 4 is a diagram showing the printer's movement after data is manually input. . ■...Modem interface, 2...Keyboard, 3...Keyboard interface, 1.
...Control unit, 5...Print data conversion circuit,
(i...Character generator, ~7...Motor driver, 8...Printer driver, 8-9II11...Step motor, 10...Thermal line\Grooth, 11...Platen , 12... Thermal paper, 21... Thermal interface, 22... Platen, 23... Thermal paper. Patent applicant Kokusai Denki Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The means for causing the line printer to perform a return operation is used to input the line printer's input data (input data to the control unit that controls the printing of the line printer and the rotation of the paper feed motor of the printing paper to print one line of characters and At the time of line feed, it is stored whether the control code being printed is a predetermined return code, and the control code of the previous character line is restored when the control unit finishes receiving the next character line. If it is a code, the line printer recovery method is characterized by returning the printing paper and then printing that one character line and performing a changeover operation.