JPH06234248A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce equipment cost by connecting one printer to a POS terminal device by providing a bar code generator, other than a usual character generator to perform bar code printing other than usual character printing. CONSTITUTION:The control part 1 of a printer 10 analyzes the content of the printing command received from a host device 11 by a host interface part 3 and takes out a necessary character font and a necessary bar code font from a character generator 4 and a bar code generator 5 to edit printing data to store the same in an edited data storage part 2. The control part 1 sends the stored edited data to a printing part through a mechanical control part 12 to perform the output printing of a character or bar code. That is, the bar code generator 5 is provided other than the usual character generator 4 to also perform bar code printing other than usual character printing. Therefore, one printer 10 may be connected to a POS terminal device and equipment cost can be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer for use as a printing device of a POS terminal device or a terminal device for an automatic machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional printer for use as a printing device of a POS terminal device or an automatic device terminal device has only a normal character printing function and is used in a POS terminal device or an automatic device terminal device. It does not have a function to print a barcode.

[0003]

As described above, the PO
Conventional printers for S-terminals or terminals for automated machines cannot print barcodes, so POS
When printing a bar code on a terminal device or a terminal device for an automatic machine, the bar code must be printed by a bar code printer other than the printer connected to the terminal device or the terminal device for an automatic machine. The terminal device has a drawback that it is necessary to connect two printers, which increases facility costs and increases the installation area.

[0004]

A printer according to the present invention comprises a host interface unit for receiving a print command from a host device via a communication line, a character generator for generating a character font corresponding to a designated character, and A bar code generator that generates a bar code font corresponding to a specified bar code, and when the print command received by the host interface unit is recognized as a print command related to character printing, the character generator specifies the print command. A control unit for extracting a character font corresponding to a character and, when recognizing that it is a print command related to bar code printing, extracting a bar code font corresponding to the specified bar code from the bar code generator and editing print data, An edit data storage unit for storing print data edited by the control unit is provided.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the upper interface unit 3
Is connected to the higher-level device 11 via a communication line,
The printer 1 receives a print command from the host device 11 and
The state of 0 is reported to the host device 11. The character generator 4
The specified character font is generated in accordance with the request of the control unit 1 and sent to the control unit 1. The barcode generator 5 generates a designated barcode font according to the request of the control unit 1 and sends it to the control unit 1. The edit data storage unit 2 stores edited print data (edit data) when the control unit 1 creates print data of a character or a barcode according to an instruction from the higher-level device 11. The control unit 1 analyzes the content of the print command received by the higher-level interface unit 3 from the higher-level device 11, and determines the required character font and barcode font as the character generator 4 and the barcode generator 5, respectively.
The print data is edited and stored in the edited data storage unit 2. The control unit 1 also includes an edit data storage unit 2
The edited data stored in (1) is sent to the printing unit via the mechanical control unit 12 to output and print characters or barcodes.

Next, the operation of the printer configured as described above will be described.

When performing normal character printing, the host interface unit 3 receives a print command from the host device 11, and the control unit 1 analyzes the content of the print command and recognizes that it is normal character printing. At this time, the character generator 4 is requested to send out the character font corresponding to the character specified in the print command. Upon receiving the character font from the character generator 4, the control unit 1 edits the character font into print data and temporarily stores the print data in the edit data storage unit 2. When this procedure is repeated and the editing of all the characters necessary for output printing is completed, the control unit 1 retrieves all the edited data stored in the edited data storage unit 2 and, via the mechanical control unit 12, Send it to the printing section to print out normal characters.

When the bar code is printed, when the print command from the host device 11 is received by the host interface unit 3 and the control unit 1 analyzes the content of the print command and recognizes that the bar code is printed. The bar code generator 5 is requested to send out the bar code font corresponding to the bar code specified in the print command. When the control unit 1 receives the barcode font from the barcode generator 5, the control unit 1 edits it into print data and temporarily stores it in the edited data storage unit 2. When this procedure is repeated and the editing of all the barcodes necessary for output printing is completed, the control unit 1 retrieves all the edit data stored in the edit data storage unit 2 and sends the edited data via the mechanical control unit 12. And send it to the printing unit to output and print the barcode data.

[0011]

As described above, the printer of the present invention is provided with the bar code generator in addition to the ordinary character generator,
When the control unit analyzes the contents of the print command received from the host device and recognizes the print command of the barcode, by extracting the corresponding barcode font from the barcode generator and editing the barcode print data, In addition to the character printing, it is possible to print a bar code. Therefore, the number of printers connected to the POS terminal device or the terminal device for the automatic machine can be one, and the POS terminal device or the automatic device can be automatically connected. It is possible to reduce the equipment cost of the machine terminal device and also reduce the installation area.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Controller 2 Edited Data Storage 3 Upper Interface 4 Character Generator 5 Bar Code Generator 10 Printer 11 Upper Device 12 Mechanical Control

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A bar code generator that generates a bar code font corresponding to a designated bar code, and when a print command from a host device is analyzed and it is recognized that the print command is related to bar code printing. A printer comprising: a barcode font corresponding to a designated barcode from the barcode generator and editing print data. 2. A host interface unit for receiving a print command from a host device via a communication line, a character generator for generating a character font corresponding to a specified character, and a bar code corresponding to a specified bar code. When a bar code generator that generates a font and the print command received by the host interface unit are recognized as a print command related to character printing, a character font corresponding to the specified character is extracted from the character generator When a print command related to printing is recognized, a bar code font corresponding to the specified bar code is extracted from the bar code generator to edit the print data, and the print data edited by the control unit is stored. A printer having an edit data storage unit for performing the same.