JPH055674B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a printer device having a graph printing function.

[Prior art and its problems]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some graphics printers have a graph creation function that automatically creates a graph when the type of graph is specified and data is input. In this case, the vertical scale of the graph is automatically set according to the maximum data, so if the amount of maximum data differs greatly from other data as shown in Figure 1, The data graphs were extremely difficult to read. In addition, with this type of printer, you can specify the vertical scale of the graph, but in this case, it is impossible to create a graph for data larger than the specified scale, and the graph will overflow. It was only possible.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to create an easy-to-read graph even when the maximum amount of data is significantly different from other data when automatically creating a graph according to input data. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer device having a graph printing function capable of printing graphs.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In Figure 2, 11 is the CPU, and this CPU
11 includes a key input section 12, a display section 13, a data buffer 14, and an X-Y plot controller 15.
is connected. The key input section 12 includes keys for inputting various data as well as a GRAPH key 12a.
and a MAX key 12b. A character generator 16 and a RAM 17 are connected to the XY plot controller 15. The character generator 16 has first to third storage areas 16a to 16c, each of which stores step data that is the basis for printing bar graphs, line graphs, characters/symbols, etc. I remember each. Also,
The RAM 17 is provided with registers for MAX, M, m, S, D ₁ and D _2. The MAX register contains the maximum value of the set vertical print scale, and the M register contains the maximum value stored in the data buffer 14. The maximum value of data stored in the m register, the minimum value of data stored in the data buffer 14, the S register a constant "10" used when comparing the maximum value M and the minimum value m of data, The data read from the data buffer 14 is stored in the D ₁ and D ₂ registers.
Each is written. Drive commands are sent from the X-Y plot controller 15 to the X-direction motor drive circuit 18 and the Y-direction motor drive circuit 19 to drive the plotter section 20. That is, the X-Y plot controller 15 sends an X-direction step signal SX to the motor drive circuit 18 to move the print head one step, a left signal L to move the print head in the "-X" direction, and a print signal. Up/down signals U/D are sent to command the heads to go up/down. Further, a Y direction step signal for moving the recording paper one step is sent from the X-Y plot controller 15 to the motor drive circuit 19.
SY, a reverse signal R is sent to move the recording paper in the "-Y" direction.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When creating a graph, if the graph maximum value is not specified, operate the GRAPH key 12a after inputting all data for the graph. Also, if you want to specify the graph maximum value, enter all the data for the graph, then enter the graph maximum value.
Operate the MAX key 12b and then operate the GRAPH key 12a. By operating this GRAPH key 12a, the
-The processing of the Y plot controller 15 is started. First, as shown in step _A1 in FIG. 3, it is determined whether the maximum value of the graph has been specified as an input. If the maximum value of the graph has not been specified as input, the process proceeds to step _A2 , where the graph data is transferred from the data buffer 14. Read the maximum value of M in RAM17.
Write to register. Next, in step _A3 , the minimum data value is read from the data buffer 14,
Write to m register. After that, proceed to step _A4 , multiply the minimum data value m held in the m register by the contents of the S register "10", and check whether the multiplication result is smaller than the maximum data value M held in the M register. to judge. That is, if the maximum data value M becomes larger than about 10 times the minimum data value, the graph becomes difficult to see, so this condition is determined in step _A4 . And this step A ₄
When it is determined that "M>m×10",
Proceeding to step _A5 , the average value of the data stored in the data buffer 14 is calculated, the average value is regarded as the maximum value of the graph, and is set in the MAX register. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step _A6 , where the vertical axis scale of the graph is printed according to the graph maximum value set in the MAX register. If the maximum value of the graph is specified in advance by inputting it from the key input unit 12, the process immediately proceeds from step _A1 to step _A6 to print the vertical axis scale. Then proceed to step _A7 ,
Print the horizontal axis of the graph. Next, the process proceeds to step _A8 , where the first graph data is read from the data buffer 14 and written into the _D1 and _D2 registers. and,
Step A Determine whether the maximum value of the graph as shown in ₉ is greater than the data held in register D ₂ ,
If MAX > D ₂ , proceed to step A ₁₀ , and print the graph according to the data held in the D ₂ register as shown in Figure 4 a and b. At the same time, proceed to step A ₁₁ , and print D at the top of the printed graph. ₁ Print the value held in register. FIG. 4a shows an example of a graph of sales from January to June for company A shown in FIG. 4c. Then, in step _A12 , the data buffer 14 is
It is determined whether or not there is any remaining data, and if there is any remaining data, the process returns to step _A8 . Thereafter, the processes of steps _A8 to _A12 are repeated in the same manner, and the data buffer 14 is
The data held in the memory is sequentially read out and graphs are printed. In this case, for example, company A's 4
Large data such as monthly sales and step-by-step
If it is determined in _A9 that the data held in the _D2 register is larger than the maximum value of the graph, the process proceeds to step _A13 and a special graph is printed. That is, for the April sales shown in FIG. 4a, a special bar graph _G1 up to the maximum value of the graph is printed. This special bar graph _G1 does not print a horizontal line at the top, leaving it blank. Next, as shown in step _A14 , the maximum value of the graph is subtracted from the data held in the _D2 register, and then the process returns to step _A9 . In this step A ₉ , the graph maximum value and D ₂
Compare the contents of the registers, still less than the maximum value D ₂
If the data held in the register is larger, step
Proceed to A ₁₃ and print a similar bar graph G ₂ next to the above bar graph G ₁ . Similarly, step A ₉ ,
Repeat steps A ₁₃ and A ₁₄ to print the special graph. Then, after printing up to bar graph G ₃ ,
If it is determined in step A ₉ that MAX > D ₂ , the process proceeds to step A ₁₀ and displays a normal bar graph according to the data held in the D ₂ register at that time.
Print G ₄ . Next, in step _A11 , _{the 4} held in the _D1 register is placed above the bar graph G4.
Print monthly sales figures. Thereafter, similar processing is performed to read data from the data buffer 14 and print the graph, and when it is determined in step _A12 that there is no remaining data, the graph creation is terminated.

Furthermore, if it is determined in step _A4 that the maximum data value M held in the M register is smaller than 10 times the minimum value m held in the m register, the process proceeds to step _A15 , and the data stored in the M register is Set the graph maximum value in the MAX register according to the data maximum value. Next, the process proceeds to step _A16 , where a vertical axis scale is printed according to the maximum value of the graph as shown in FIG. 4b. Figure 4b is B shown in Figure 4c.
This is an example of a graph of sales for a company from January to June. And step
After printing the horizontal axis at _{step A17} , January data is read from the data buffer 14 and written to the _D1 register as shown at step _A18 . Next, proceed to step _A19 , as shown in FIG. 4b, a graph is printed according to the data held in register _D1 , and
In step _A20 , the value of the data held in the _D1 register is printed at the top of the graph. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step _A21 , where it is determined whether or not there is any data left in the data buffer 14. If any data remains, the process returns to step _A18 and the same process is repeated. Then, when all the data is read out from the data buffer 14 and printing is completed, the judgment result in step _A21 becomes NO and the graph creation process ends.

Note that in the above embodiment, the graph creation process is started after all data has been input.
After setting the maximum value of the print scale with the MAX key 12b, each time you enter data for each month.
Graph printing may also be performed by operating the GRAPH key 12a.

Further, in the above embodiment, the graph is created in the vertical direction of the movement of the recording paper, but the graph may be created in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the printing method is not limited to the X/Y plotter, but other printing methods such as a dot type thermal printer can be used.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, when a graph is automatically created according to input data, a graph that is very easy to read can be created even when the maximum amount of data is significantly different from other data. A printer device having a printing function can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of graph creation using a conventional printer device, Figs. 2 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of graph creation using a conventional printer device. Flowchart showing the operation contents, Figure 4 a and b are diagrams showing examples of graph creation, Figure 4
Figure c is a diagram showing an example of graph creation data. 11... CPU, 12... Key input section, 13...
...Display section, 14...Data buffer, 15...X
-Y plot controller, 16... Character generator, 17... RAM, 18, 19...
Motor driver, 20... plotter section.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A printer device having a graph creation function for converting input data into a bar graph, comprising: maximum value setting means for setting a maximum amount of data that can be printed in a graph; and input data is larger than the set maximum value. Judgment means to judge whether the value is small or not, and if this judgment means judges it to be small, it prints a bar graph with a length according to the value of the input data, and if it judges it to be large, the subtraction result is less than the maximum value. It is equipped with graph printing means that subtracts the maximum value from the input data until it becomes smaller, and prints in parallel a bar graph with a length corresponding to the maximum value for the number of subtractions and a bar graph with a length according to the final subtraction result. A printer device having a graph printing function characterized by the following.