JPH04303230A - Printing controller - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print control device for controlling a print head of an image forming apparatus used as an output means of an information processing apparatus, and more particularly to speeding up and reducing vibration in printing of forms.

0002

[Prior Art] In recent years, forms have been created using information processing devices, and images have been formed on them using image forming devices such as line printers.
In other words, it is printed out. In such form printing, it is necessary to print a large number of characters in a predetermined printing area.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, in order to print a large number of characters each having a defined image area 102 within a defined printing area 100, some of the characters are overlapped. That is, printing is performed so that an image overlap area (shaded area in the figure) 104 occurs.

[0004] Here, since the characters printed on the form are usually numbers, it is rare to use the entire image area 102 of one character, and since there are blank spaces on both sides, the above Duplications like this are not much of a problem.

[0005]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] When performing image formation to generate such an image overlap area 104, conventional image forming apparatuses perform printing according to the order in which print data is received from an information processing apparatus. (In the example of FIG. 6A, from the leftmost character to the rightmost character) is normal. According to printing according to this order of reception, the behavior of the print head for each character has very delicate strokes, as shown in FIG. 6(B).

[0006] This delicate stroke occurs in the overlapping area 104 of the image area 102 of each character, and causes the following problems. That is, (1)
The vibrations generated by the image forming apparatus become significantly large. (2) Backlash occurs for each character, so
The accuracy of the coordinate position of each character decreases. (3) Since the amount of drive of the print head required to print one character string becomes large, stress on the drive system increases. (4) It takes a lot of time to print one character string.

The reason for this is that printing is performed in accordance with the order in which print data is received from the information processing device.

[0008] If printing can be performed in such a way that the number of backlash occurrences is minimized without following the order in which print data is received from the information processing device, vibrations can be reduced and the drive system It is clear that printing can be performed at high speed and with high precision without putting too much stress on the printer.

An object of the present invention is to enable printing to minimize the number of occurrences of backlash.

0010

Means for Solving the Problems The means of the present invention are as follows. A storage means 1 (see the block diagram of FIG. 1, the same applies hereinafter) stores print data and print position information of this print data. Here, the print data includes characters, symbols, and other image data. Grouping means 2 is
Based on the printing position information stored in the storage means 1,
Overlapping of adjacent print data is detected, and the print data stored in the storage means 1 is divided into groups, with print data that do not overlap each other being treated as one group. Printing means 3
prints the print data grouped by the grouping means 2 for each group.

[0011]

[Operation] The operation of the means of the present invention is as follows. When performing printing in which adjacent print data partially overlaps, the grouping means 2 detects the overlap of adjacent print data based on the print position information stored in the storage means 1,
Print data that does not overlap with each other is treated as one group.
The print data stored in the storage means 1 is divided into groups, and the printing means 3 prints the print data grouped by the grouping means 2 for each group. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform printing that minimizes the number of occurrences of backlash, and therefore, it becomes possible to perform printing at high speed and with high accuracy with less vibration and without giving too much stress to the drive system.

0012

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 2 shows the print control device 10 of the embodiment.
12 is a block configuration diagram of an interface controller (IFCONT) that receives printing target data (characters, symbols, and other image data) transmitted from an external information processing device. It is a receiving device. Reference numeral 14 denotes a received data storage device composed of a RAM that stores information received by the receiving device 12. 16
is a control device composed of a CPU that controls the entire system. 18 is a print head drive device that drives and controls the print head 20.

Next, the printing control device 1 having the above-described configuration will be described.
The operation at 0 will be explained. First, print data transmitted from an external device is stored in the received data storage device 14 via the receiving device 12. The receiving device 12 stops the receiving process at the same time as detecting the conveyance instruction command in the input print data, and reports to the control device 16 that reception of one conveyance unit is completed.

The control device 16 executes processing as shown in the flowchart of FIG. That is, after receiving the report from the receiving device 12, coordinate information and image width information of each character data in the print information stored in the received data storage device 14 are collected (step S1).

That is, (A) in FIG. 4 shows the print target data used in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the print target data consists of six characters 221 to 226, and adjacent characters It is assumed that the image area and image area partially overlap. Regarding such print data, the control device 16
collects information as shown in FIG. 4(B) from the received data storage device 14.

Next, the control device 16 determines whether or not there is any duplication of characters based on the information regarding each character generated in the above process (step S2). That is, it is determined from the x-coordinate and image width information whether adjacent characters overlap.

If there is an overlap, the characters are divided into a plurality of groups based on the information regarding each character generated in the above process. This grouping is performed in order from the first coordinate order, and a group of character data whose image areas do not overlap each other constitutes one group.

That is, first, as an initial setting, the control device 16
A group number "0" is set in an internally configured group register (not shown) (step S3). Next, the group number in the group register is incremented by "+1" (step S4), and the data (x coordinate and image width) of the character in the next coordinate order is read out (step S5). Then, based on the read data, it is determined whether or not there is any duplication of characters (step S6), and if there is any duplication, the process returns to step S4. That is, in this example, first, the character 221 with the coordinate rank "1" and the character 222 with the coordinate rank "2"
Since there is overlap between the two, the process returns to step S4.

Then, in the same way as above, the group number in the group register is incremented by "+1" (step S4), and the data of the character in the next coordinate order is read out (step S5).
, Based on this read data, it is determined whether or not there is any duplication of characters (step S6). This time, the coordinate rank “1”
” character 221 and the character 223 coordinate rank “3” do not overlap, the process advances to the next step S7.

In step S7, the character data is divided into groups at intervals of group numbers in the group register. That is, in this example, the group number is "2".
” Therefore, the character data is grouped at intervals of two characters.

In this way, in this embodiment, the coordinate order is "1".
, "3", "5" and coordinate order "2", "4", "6"
The character data of each group is classified into groups.

Next, the control device 16 issues an instruction to the print head drive device 18 in units of groups separated in the above processing, and causes the print head drive device 18 to perform print scanning in units of each group. That is, the process of printing the grouped character data in units of groups (step S8) is repeated until all groups are printed (step S9).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing how printing is scanned for each group. As shown in the figure, in the first scanning printing, character data of coordinate ranks "1", "3", and "5" included in the first group are printed, and the
In scanning printing, character data of coordinate ranks "2", "4", and "6" included in the next group are printed.

Through these processes, the print data shown in FIG. 4A is formed into an image by two print scans. That is, printing can be performed with one backlash.

Note that if it is determined in step S2 that there is no duplication of characters, a normal printing operation is of course performed (step S10).

In the above embodiment, the case where overlap occurs only between adjacent characters has been explained, but the present invention can be applied between three adjacent characters, that is, in the image area of the first character, the next character and the next character overlap. If the image areas of the characters overlap,
Furthermore, it will be clear from the flowchart of FIG. 3 that the same operation will be performed even when overlap occurs between a larger number of characters.

In this way, the coordinate information and image area of a plurality of character formation data located within one transport unit are recognized, and based on that information, the character formation data is divided into a plurality of groups, and the character formation data is divided into a plurality of groups. By performing scanning printing using the same method, printing can be performed in a manner that minimizes the number of occurrences of backlash.

[0028]

According to the present invention, printing can be performed in a manner that minimizes the number of occurrences of backlash. Therefore, printing can be performed at high speed and with high accuracy without causing much vibration or stress on the drive system.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of a printing control device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 4(A) is a diagram showing printing target data used in the embodiment, and FIG. 4(B) is a diagram showing printing information within one transport unit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a printing operation within one transport unit.

6A is a diagram for explaining printing in which adjacent characters partially overlap, and FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a conventional image forming apparatus when performing the printing shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the behavior of a print head when

[Explanation of symbols]

1... Storage means, 2... Grouping means, 3... Printing means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A storage means for storing print data and print position information of this print data, and detecting overlapping of adjacent print data based on the print position information stored in the storage means, and printing that does not overlap with each other. A grouping means for dividing the print data stored in the storage means into one group, and a printing means for printing the print data grouped by the grouping means for each group. A printing control device featuring: