JPH036595A - printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print data with the best output image resolution by varying the printing image resolution according to the output density of the dot pattern of a character read out of a storage medium by a read means. CONSTITUTION:The printer is provided with a varying means 7 which varies the printing image resolution according to the output density 5a of the dot pattern of the character read out of the storage medium 6 by a read means 2. An output part 7 which prints data with out image resolution indicated by a CPU 2 consists of, for example, a printing system which uses a laser beam and recording image resolution can be controlled by controlling the output rate of a video signal outputted to the printing system and the conveying speed of recording paper. Consequently, characters can be printed automatically with image resolution matching mounted dot pattern characters.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing device whose output resolution can be changed.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in a printing device that handles dot pattern characters, if the printing resolution is changed, the character size is treated as different from the character size used up until then (for example, when the resolution is 400 dpi, Character resolution is 2
At 00 dpi, it is treated as a 20 point character), or by thinning out the dots, etc.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional example described above, priority was given to the display resolution, which caused the problem that if the resolution was changed even slightly, the corresponding dot pattern characters would disappear. or,
Conversely, if the dot pattern characters were replaced, the resolution would no longer match, resulting in non-conforming printing.

In addition, in recent years, printing devices using vector fonts (outline fonts) have appeared, but these devices generate a character pattern each time they print out, which reduces the throughput of the device. The decline was inevitable.

The first invention was made in view of this problem,
An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device capable of changing the resolution, which can automatically print at the optimum output resolution even if the number of dots constituting a character is changed.

A second aspect of the invention is to provide a printing device that can improve the throughput of vector font printing processing.

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to solve this problem, a first printing device of the present invention has the configuration shown below. That is, in a printing device in which the printing resolution can be changed and a storage medium containing printed dot pattern character information is removable, the storage medium stores and holds output density information of character dot patterns stored in the storage medium. The apparatus itself includes a reading means for reading output density information of the storage medium;
and changing means for changing the printing resolution based on the output density read by the reading means.

The second printing device is a printing device capable of changing printing resolution and generating and printing a character pattern based on vector information, and the second printing device includes a holding unit for storing and holding the changed printing resolution information and printed character size. , comprising generating means for sequentially generating printed character dot patterns based on the printing resolution and character size held by the holding means, and storage means for storing the generated printed character dot patterns, and receiving character codes input from the outside. If so, printing is performed using the corresponding print character dot pattern stored in the storage means.

[Operation] In the configuration of the first invention, the storage medium holds optimal output density information of the dot pattern character information stored in the storage medium. When printing using the dot pattern character information stored in the storage medium, printing is performed using the held output density information.

Further, in the configuration of the second aspect of the invention, prior to the start of printing, a printed character dot pattern matching the printing resolution information and character size held in the holding means is generated and stored. When a character code is received, printing is performed based on the stored print character dot pattern.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Description of the First Embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2)> FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing apparatus in this embodiment.

In the figure, 1 is a printing apparatus main body, and 2 is a CPU that controls each component within the printing apparatus main body 1. Reference numeral 3 denotes a ROM that stores programs related to printing control and programs based on a flowchart shown in FIG. 2, which will be described later.

4 is a built-in font memory that stores character patterns corresponding to character codes, and is a standard feature. 5
is a RAM used by the CPU 2 as its work area during operation. This RAM 5 includes a resolution storage section 5a that stores data indicating the current printing resolution, and a font cartridge information section 5b that stores information for accessing character information in the font cartridge, which will be described later.
Equipped with. 6 is an external slot of the device main body 1 (not shown)
This is a font cartridge that is removable. This font cartridge includes a character font section (not shown) that stores character patterns, a resolution information section 6a that stores an output resolution suitable for the stored character pattern group, and a resolution information section 6a that stores an output resolution suitable for the stored character pattern group. The character information section 6b stores information necessary for accessing character patterns (for example, address information of individual character patterns, etc.). Reference numeral 7 denotes an output unit, which performs printing at the output resolution instructed by the CPU 2.

The output section 7 consists of a printing system using a laser beam, for example,
Since the recording resolution can be controlled by controlling the output rate of the video signal output to the printing system and the transport speed of the recording paper, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

The operation processing procedure of the CPU 2 of this embodiment in the above-described configuration will be explained according to the flowchart of FIG. 2.

When the power is turned on to this device, the CPU 2 performs step S1.
, the contents of the resolution information section 6a of the font cartridge 6 connected to the external slot are read and the data is stored in the resolution storage section 5a in the RAM 5. Then, in the next step S2, character information is read from the character information section 6b in the font cartridge 6, and the information is stored in the font cartridge information section 5b.

In the next step S3, the output unit 7 is instructed to switch the resolution so that the resolution is the value stored in the resolution storage unit 5a. Thereafter, the character pattern corresponding to the character code input from the outside is read out from the font cartridge 6 based on the information stored in the font cartridge information section 5b and output to the output section 7.

In this way, printing can be performed at the output resolution written in the font cartridge 6.

Note that steps 31 to 3 described above are performed not only when the power is turned on, but also when replacing the font cartridge with another font cartridge. Furthermore, it goes without saying that a disk device, CDROM, etc. may be used in addition to the font cartridge.

Description of the Second Embodiment (FIG. 3)> In the above description, when a font cartridge is installed, printing is performed at a resolution suitable for the font cartridge. By the way, when a font cartridge that stores a dot pattern with an incompatible number of constituent dots is connected, a problem occurs in that characters of a size not intended by the user are printed.

The processing contents in this case will be explained according to the flowchart shown in FIG. It is assumed that the apparatus configuration is the same as that shown in FIG.

First, when the main body of the apparatus is powered on, the process proceeds to step Sll, in which the output resolution previously held in the program ROM 5 is stored in the resolution storage section 5a, and an output resolution instruction is given to the output section 7. . Next, proceeding to step S12, the resolution information section 6a in the font cartridge 6 is
Then, in step S13, it is determined whether the captured data matches the current output resolution stored in the resolution storage section 5a. If this judgment is "YES", the data of the character information section 6b in the font cartridge 6 is read and the data is stored in the RAM 5.
is stored in the font cartridge information section 5b. The character patterns stored in the font cartridge 6 are now accessible. Further, if the determination in step S13 is "NO", no data is stored in the font cartridge information section 5.

Through the above processing, only those fonts whose output resolution matches the current output resolution of the printing device are loaded into the RAM and used for output.

It is also assumed that the processing from step 312 to step S14 is performed not only when the power is turned on, but also when changing the output resolution (for example, by issuing a change instruction from an operation panel (not shown)) or when replacing the font cartridge.

Description of the Third Embodiment (FIGS. 4 and 5)> FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the printing device in the embodiment of the bookcase 3.

In the figure, 41 is a device main body, and 42 is a CPU. 4
3 is an NVRAM which is a nonvolatile and writable memory, and includes a resolution storage section 43a that stores the output resolution at the time of initialization, and also stores the character size (number of points in the embodiment) to be created at the time of initialization. A character size storage section 43b is provided. Reference numeral 44 denotes a program, which stores not only a program related to print processing but also a program of a flowchart shown in FIG. 5, which will be described later. 45 is R used as a work area for the CPU 42
It is AM. This RAM 45 includes a scaling factor storage section 45a that stores a multiplication factor for standardized characters of a vector font section 46, which will be described later, according to the resolution and character size stored in the NVRAM 43, and a scaling factor storage section 45a for storing the multiplication factor for standardized characters of the vector font section 46, which will be described later. There is a dot pattern character storage section 45b that stores dot pattern characters generated by the multiplication factor.

Reference numeral 46 denotes a vector font unit (consisting of ROM, etc.), which stores character data defining the outline of characters within standardized X-Y coordinates. Reference numeral 47 is an output unit, which can print at any resolution.

The processing contents in the embodiment of the bookcase 3 having such a configuration will be explained according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when the power is turned on to this device, in step S1
The output resolution information is read from the resolution storage section 33a in the VRAM 43, and in step S2, the logical character size (number of points) is fetched from the character size storage section 43b.In step S3, scaling is performed from the information fetched in steps Sl and S2. Calculate the coefficients. This calculation is performed using the following formula.

resol X pts Scaling coefficient = 72
inch) resol: resolution (number of output dots per inch) In step S53, the scaling coefficient obtained here is further stored in the scaling coefficient storage section 5a.

Next, the process proceeds to step S54, and vector data for one character is extracted from the vector font section 46. At this time, if there is no character data to be extracted, the process proceeds to step S54, but here, one character worth of vector data is extracted. We will explain the case where vector data for 2 minutes is extracted. In this case, the process proceeds to step S56.

In step S56, the extracted vector data for one character is multiplied by the previously calculated scaling coefficient to convert the coordinate values in the standardized coordinate system into coordinate values in the output coordinate system, and each A dot pattern character is created by connecting the outline points with straight lines, etc., and then filling in the inside of the outline.Next, the created character is stored in RAM.
45 in the dot pattern character storage section 45b, and the process returns to step S4. Below, vector font part 4
Read the vector information for one character from 6, create the corresponding character pattern, and store the dot pattern character 4
5b is repeated, and after the dot pattern based on the vector data of the last character has been stored, it goes without saying that step S
55 is "NO". In this case, the process proceeds to step S58 and instructs the output unit 47 to use the output resolution at that time. Thereafter, the character pattern corresponding to the received character code is printed by outputting the dot pattern stored in the dot pattern character storage section 45b in the RAM 45 to the output section 47.

By the above processing, by creating dot pattern characters with the specified resolution and logical character size in the NVRAM at the time of initialization, characters of unexpected sizes are prevented from being printed out.

Note that steps S51 to 358 are performed not only when the power is turned on, but also when resetting, switching resolution, changing character size, etc.

Explanation of the fourth embodiment (Figs. 6 and 7)> In the third embodiment described above, when the resolution is changed, it is possible to create dot pattern characters that can be adapted to the changed resolution. It is expected that the throughput of the printing device itself will decrease if the resolution is changed. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, a device that solves this problem will be described.

FIG. 6 shows the configuration of a printing apparatus in the fourth embodiment.

In the figure, 61 is the main body of the apparatus, and 62 is a host computer that outputs data. The device main body 61 includes the following configuration.

Reference numeral 63 is a CPU that controls the entire device, and 64 is a reception buffer that temporarily stores data received from the host computer 62. 65 is a program ROM that stores the operation processing procedures of the CPU 63, and in addition to programs related to print processing, programs related to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are also stored. 66 is a vector font section in which character data that defines the outline of a character within standardized coordinates is stored; 67 is a resolution table that stores each resolution that can be output by the printing device l;
For example, it is as shown in FIG. Note that the column 21 of the illustrated table stores the number of types of resolutions that can be output by this apparatus, and the column 22 stores each resolution. However, in the column indicating each resolution, information sufficient to realize the resolution is stored, such as the video signal output rate and recording paper conveyance speed when printing at that resolution. 68 is a RAM used as a work area for the CPU, and the vector font section 66 is used according to the character size and resolution specified by the host computer.
A scaling coefficient storage section 68a for storing a multiplication factor for a standardized character, and a dot character pattern storage section 68b for storing a dot character pattern generated by the multiplication factor of this scaling factor are provided. Reference numeral 69 denotes an output unit capable of printing at all resolutions in the resolution table 67.

The operation processing procedure of the fourth embodiment in the above-described configuration will be explained with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9.

First, when logical character size data is received from the host computer via the reception buffer 64 in step S81, the process proceeds to step S2, and the resolution table 67 is referred to. In the next step S3, it is determined whether character patterns corresponding to all resolutions have been created. If this determination is "No", the process proceeds to step S84, where the resolution to be created is fetched from the resolution table 67. Next, at step S85, a dot character pattern is created. A more detailed explanation will be given according to the flowchart in the figure.

First, in step S91, a scaling coefficient is calculated, and the obtained coefficient is stored in the scaling coefficient storage section 68a.
Store in. The calculation formula for the scaling coefficient is the same as in the third embodiment, so it is omitted.Next, the process proceeds to step S12, where the contour coordinate group for one character is extracted from the vector font section 61, and the coordinate value is calculated in step S93. It is determined whether or not the outline creation of the character pattern based on the character pattern has been completed.

If 'NO', in step S94, the scaling coefficient stored in the scaling coefficient storage section 68a is extracted, multiplied by the coordinate value extracted in step S92, the result is temporarily stored in the RAM 68, and step The process returns to S92. Also, the determination in step S93 is “Y”.
ES", the process advances to step S95; here,
First, the outline of the character represented by the coordinate values temporarily stored in the RAM 68 is formed, and the inside of the character pattern is filled in. After this, the process returns to FIG. 8.

After the character pattern is created in this manner, the process proceeds to step S86, the character pattern created in the above-described process is stored in the dot character pattern storage section 68b, and the process returns to step S2.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S83 is 'YES', the process ends, and the output unit 69 is controlled to wait for data reception to be performed in the character size and resolution instructed by the host computer. .

Through the processing described above, dot character patterns corresponding to each resolution that can be output by this apparatus are stored in the dot character pattern storage section 68b. Therefore, even if there is an instruction to change the resolution and logical character size from the host computer 62, it will be possible to respond immediately.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the first invention, optimal output resolution information is provided in the storage medium storing dot pattern characters, and the output resolution is switched according to the resolution, so that the dot pattern characters can be mounted. This makes it possible to automatically print at a resolution suitable for dot pattern characters. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to specify the resolution every time the storage medium is replaced.

Furthermore, according to the second aspect of the invention, it is not necessary to generate a corresponding character pattern each time when actually printing, so it is possible to improve the throughput of the apparatus itself.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of the printing device in the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the processing procedure of the CPU in the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the CPU in the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block configuration diagram of the printing apparatus in the third embodiment; FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the processing procedure of the CPU in the third embodiment; The figure is a block configuration diagram of the printing device in the fourth embodiment, Figure 7 is a diagram showing the contents of the resolution table in the fourth embodiment, and Figure 8 explains the processing procedure of the CPU in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining some details of the flowchart in FIG. 8. In the figure, 1.41 and 61...Printing device, 2.42 and 63...-CPU, 3.44 and 65--Program ROM, 4...Built-in font, 5, 45, and 68...
-RAM, 6... Font cartridge, 7.47 and 69... Output section, 43 - NVRAM, 46 and 6
6... Vector font section, 67... Resolution table. Figure 3 Figure Data 1 Figure 1 Figure Rinishi N table Figure

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In a printing device in which the printing resolution can be changed and a storage medium containing character information of printed dot patterns is removable, the storage medium stores output density information of character dot patterns stored therein. There is a holding means for storing the memory, and the apparatus itself includes a reading means for reading out the output density information of the storage medium, and a changing means for changing the printing resolution based on the output density read by the reading means. A printing device characterized by: (2) Printing according to claim 1, characterized in that when the output density information read by the reading means is different from the printing resolution of the apparatus itself at the time of reading, the character information of the dot pattern of the storage medium is not used. Device (3) In a printing device that is capable of changing print resolution and that generates and prints a character pattern based on vector information, a holding means that stores and holds the print resolution information and print character size after the change; a generating means for sequentially generating a printed character dot pattern based on the print resolution and character size, and a storage means for storing the generated printed character dot pattern, and when receiving a character code input from the outside, the storage means A printing device characterized in that it also prints with a corresponding print character dot pattern stored in the printer. (4) The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the holding means stores the data in a non-volatile memory. (5) The printing device according to claim 3, wherein the storage means stores a print character dot pattern for each resolution that can be printed by the device itself.