JPH0632011A - Label printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To grasp the character size of a character string to be printed by storing the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of all printable character sizes and by providing a processor for displaying information from a storage in a display part. CONSTITUTION:When a user presses down a predetermined key (300), the dimensions of a character size being now designated are read out from a storage (301). When the user operates a key, while looking at the display of a liquid crystal display part, to indicate the change of the character shape of a character string (303, 304), the dimensions of the character shape to be changed are read out from the table of the storage (305). Also, when the user indicates the change of the size of a character, the dimensions of the character of the size to be changed are read out from the table of the storage (307). A quadrilateral with the read-out longitudinal and transverse dimensions being the dimensions of two sides is displayed in the central right part of the liquid crystal display part (308). The processes from 303 to 308 are repeated until the end of the change of the character size (309).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label printing apparatus for printing an input character string on a heading label such as a document through a printing means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an exhibition or the like, for example, the same heading label is often attached to many samples. In addition, with the diversification of information, there is an increasing demand for suitable filing using heading labels according to the type of information, and the same information may be owned and stored by a plurality of people at a plurality of places. Conventionally, this type of label is created by handwriting, and there are problems such as the complexity of creation and the appearance.

In order to solve such a problem, conventionally, there has been proposed a printing device for efficiently printing the same content on both upper and lower positions of a lined label by appropriately selecting the printing direction (Actual Publication No. 1-178948). Gazette).

Further, there has been proposed a label printing apparatus which stores the number of characters and lines input in one label and calculates the number of labels so that an integer number of sheets can be set on one sheet (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-61). No. 175722).

Further, a label printer has been proposed in which automatic calculation is performed to change the characters to full-width or half-width so that printing can be suitably performed within a predetermined label width (JP-A-63-189).
276 publication).

Further, there has been proposed a label printer capable of inputting a print format of a cut paper label and printing on labels of various sizes (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-1 / 1987).
58072).

[0007]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
According to the invention described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 948, the processing for suitably printing on one heading label is described in detail, but the position and size of a plurality of heading labels arranged and the size of each heading label or each label is detected. There is no description about control of how to print.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-175722,
JP-A-63-189276 and JP-A-62-15
The one described in Japanese Patent No. 8072 relates to how to appropriately print on one label, and does not relate to a printing process for a large number of arranged labels.

Further, many conventional label printers have a function of setting the character size of a character string to be printed on a label. This setting is performed by selecting a predetermined size from a plurality of character sizes given by the half name, full size, horizontal double size, double size, or SS, S, M, L, LL and the like. However, from the character size of such a nickname,
Since the size of the character actually printed on the label cannot be recognized, the size of the character had to be specified by referring to the label printing example described in the instruction manual.

The present invention aims to solve such a problem.

[0011]

In order to solve the above problems, the label printing apparatus of the present invention comprises a storage means, a display means, and a processing means, and the storage means stores all printable character sizes. The vertical and horizontal dimensions are stored, and the processing means, when a change in the character size of the character string to be printed on a predetermined label is input, changes the vertical and horizontal size of the character size to be changed. The dimensions are read from the storage means, and a quadrangle having two sides having these dimensions is displayed on the display means.

[0012]

According to the label printing apparatus of the present invention, when there is an input to change the character size of a character string to be printed on a predetermined label, all the printable character sizes stored in the storage means are stored. The vertical and horizontal dimensions of the character size to be changed are read by the processing means from the vertical and horizontal dimensions. A quadrangle having the dimensions thus read as the dimensions of two sides is displayed on the display means. Since this quadrangle represents the outer frame of the character size to be changed, the character size of the character string to be printed on the predetermined label can be grasped by this display.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A label printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4 show the external appearance and internal mechanism of the label printing apparatus 1. A label printing device (hereinafter referred to as a device) 1 is a device that prints on each of a large number of labels 4a arranged regularly on a label sheet 4, and is composed of an upper half body 2 and a lower half body 3. An insertion port 5 for the label sheet 4 is formed in the middle.

A large number of keys 6 capable of inputting characters and the like are arranged on the upper half 2 of the apparatus 1, and above the liquid crystal panel for displaying a predetermined number of characters, the number of lines, or an input character string. The liquid crystal display section 7 is provided. When the number of characters and the number of lines more than that are input, the screen is adapted to be scrolled left and right and up and down by the cursor keys. As shown in FIG. 4, the arranged keys 6 include character keys such as alphabets, “function”,
Function keys for performing processes such as “cancel”, “convert”, “execute”, and “print”, and cursor keys with arrows on all four sides are provided. The contents of each key are written on the head of the key.

The lower half 3 has an insertion opening 5 and this insertion opening 5
A feeding path 11 extending rearward from the above is formed, and a guide roller 9 for guiding the inserted label sheet 4 is provided on the upper surface of the feeding path 11. In addition, the guide roller 9
A sheet feeding roller 8 that is driven to rotate by a sheet feeding motor 16 and feeds the inserted label sheet 4 is provided at a total of three places behind the sheet feeding device, and a printing unit 20 that prints is provided behind the sheet feeding roller 8. There is.

A side wall 18 for positioning is formed on one side, for example, the left side, of the insertion port 5 and the feeding path 11, and the left side of the label sheet 4 is inserted while abutting on the side wall 18. Is. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, on the side wall 18 on the downstream side of the feeding path of the sheet feeding roller 8, for example, a sheet sensor 19 such as a photo interrupter having a pair structure of a light emitting element 19a and a light receiving element 19b on the upper and lower surfaces. Is provided to detect whether the left side of the inserted and fed label sheet 4 exactly matches the side wall 18.

The printing unit 20 has a label sheet 4 at the bottom thereof.
Helical shaft 1 arranged in a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of
2, the rotation of the carriage motor 14 is transmitted to the spiral shaft 12 via the gear train 15, and the printing unit 20 reciprocates along the rotating spiral shaft 12. . A rack 13 is installed above the printing unit 20 in parallel with the spiral shaft 12. The teeth of the rack 13 are formed in the lower part so as to face the printing unit 20,
The gear inside the printing unit 20 is in mesh with the rack 13. Further, from the bottom of the printing unit 20, for example, the thermal head 2 including a dot array capable of printing one character
A rubber platen 17 is arranged on the lower half 3 of the lower part of the thermal head 28. In addition,
The printing unit 20 also functions as a cassette holder for mounting a ribbon cassette (not shown) of the ink ribbon, and includes a winding shaft 25 for winding the ink ribbon.

The liquid crystal display unit 7 displays the input character string or the edited character string, the code number, the character label, or a selection screen for each. The character label means a character string created for label printing or a character string already created.

Next, a control block diagram of the label printing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.

The apparatus 1 includes a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 30 for controlling the entire apparatus, and an RO.
The storage unit 31 includes M, RAM, and the like.

The CPU 30 is synchronized with a head drive unit 36 for driving the thermal head 28 in contact and separation and outputting a character signal, a carriage motor drive unit 37 for controlling the drive of the carriage motor 14, the paper feed roller 8 and the paper discharge roller 23. A sheet feed motor drive unit 38 that controls the drive of the driven sheet feed motor 16 and a display drive unit 39 that drives the liquid crystal display unit 7 are respectively connected.

The CPU 30 is internally provided with a counter for counting the number of sheets and a timer for synchronizing with sheet feeding, and receives the input information from the key input unit 6'and the detection signal from the sheet sensor 19 respectively. Output a control signal to the required circuit part, input characters, edit processing as described later,
Overall control of label sheet type selection, display control, and print processing control.

The CPU 30 monitors the detection signal from the sheet sensor 19, and the insertion and feeding of the label sheet 4 are accurately performed depending on whether or not the signal for detecting the front end of the left side of the label sheet 4 is input. It is determined whether or not the sheet feed motor 1
The position of the label sheet being fed is indirectly measured by the rotation pulse of 6 or time management.

The storage unit 31 stores a program for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus such as editing and printing, a dictionary memory for converting kana / kanji, and the arrangement positions of labels arranged on various label sheets and their labels. Label information in which vertical and horizontal dimensions and the like are registered, a code number as an identification code for specifying the type of label sheet, and a character size table (Table 1) as shown below are stored.

[0026]

[Table 1]

Table 1 shows the character size, and shows SS size to 3L size. In this type of label printing apparatus, there are various types of label sheets that can be printed, and there are several hundreds of label sheets, and a large number of character sizes are desired. Therefore, in addition to square characters, horizontally long characters and vertically long characters can be specified.
In this way, the character size can be selected using the size classification symbols, thereby facilitating the selection work.

Further, there are various kinds of label sheets such as ordinary square label, lined label, tack index label, box label and cassette label, and there are also various attachment positions on the label sheet.
Each is standardized. When an external input / output device such as an expansion cartridge shown as the auxiliary storage unit 40 in FIG. 6 is connected and the number of types of label sheets increases or when it is desired to perform printing on a desired unstandardized label sheet Can also be newly registered.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the label sheet and the label. Labels R ₁ , R ₂ , ... Having the same dimensions are regularly attached on the label sheet 4 at regular intervals. The positions of the labels on the label sheet 4 are designated as 1, 2, 3 ... In the column direction and A, B, C ... In the row direction.

The sheet number is selected by inputting a one-character or two-character (including numeral) identification code. This facilitates the selection work. The table (not shown) storing the sheet numbers in the present embodiment is represented by the label size, which corresponds to the sheet sensor 19
Is stored with the size and the like based on the corner position of the front end of the left side of the label sheet 4 detected by. The dimension type is the data required to identify the label position on the label sheet from the length and width dimensions of the label sheet, the shape of the label, the length and width dimensions of the label, the length and width of the label, and the number of labels on one sheet. Has been adopted. The size is usually specified in millimeters (mm), but in the present embodiment, the size is coded to reduce the memory capacity. The CPU 30 calculates the print position, that is, the label position based on the label information corresponding to the designated sheet number (identification code).

In the device 1 thus constructed, the character size is automatically set according to the number of characters and the number of lines of the input character string. This automatic setting of the character size is to automatically set the character size according to the character string entered on the character input screen so that it can be printed appropriately in the label. It is selected from 1.

The process of automatically setting the character size will be described below with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9.

First, by inputting the code number of the label sheet to be printed, all the information such as the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the used label and the arrangement position are specified (# 10).
2). The print area of the label is discriminated based on the label information, and the vertical and horizontal lengths of the print area are compared (# 104). By this comparison, the shorter length is selected, and if the size in the horizontal direction is short as shown in FIG. 10A, a square region S having one side of this horizontal length 1 is assumed (# 106), and also FIG. 10 (b).
If the size in the vertical direction is short, as shown in, the square area S having the length 1 in the vertical direction as one side is assumed (# 10).
8). Then, the maximum character size of the square character that can be accommodated in this square area S is selected from Table 1, and this character size is set to the initial value (# 110).

After the initial value of the character size is determined in this way, input of characters (including symbols) is awaited, and each time the input character increases or decreases by one character, the created character string is changed. The lateral length is calculated. When a character string is created in a plurality of lines, it is calculated for each line (# 202).
Then, the horizontal length of the character string and the horizontal length of the set print area are compared for each line, and it is determined whether the created character string can be printed within the set horizontal dimension of the label ( # 204). If the horizontal length of the character string is larger than the print area, a character size one size smaller than the set character size will be selected from Table 1, and all character sizes across all lines will be the new character size. The size is changed (# 206). Then, after this, again # 202, # 20
The process of 4 is repeated. In this way, a suitable character size is temporarily determined on the basis of the horizontal length of the character string in each line and the horizontal length of the print area.

Next, the vertical length of the determined character size is added over all lines to obtain the total vertical length (# 20.
8) The total vertical length is compared with the vertical length of the print area. As a result, it is determined whether the created character string can be printed within the set vertical dimension of the label (# 21).
0). If the total vertical length of the created character string is larger, a character size that is one size smaller than the determined character size is selected from Table 1, and all character sizes across all lines are set to this new character size. It is changed (# 212). After this, the processes of # 208 and # 210 are repeated again. In this way, the maximum character size that can be printed in the print area is finally set. In addition, although each of the above-described calculation formulas is stored in the ROM of the storage unit 31 in advance,
You may make it utilize the conversion table which memorize | stored the calculation result.

As described above, in the created character label, the same character size is set for all lines, and when the number of characters is different for each line, the character size is different for each line. It eliminates the inconvenience of being set.
When the character size is switched from the S size shown in Table 1 to an extremely small SS size, the character size is not switched suddenly, but is switched to a horizontally long SS size character.

Such automatic setting of the character size is performed when one character is input or deleted, when the size of the input character is changed, when the character decoration of the input character is changed, line feed or line. This is always performed when the state of the input character or the state of the input line changes, such as when they are combined.

Further, the character size of each character is calculated in advance.
Alternatively, it can be manually set to a specific size as necessary. In this case, in # 202,
The horizontal length of the set character and the horizontal length of each character being automatically set are added to calculate the length of the character string for each line. In # 208, the longest vertical size character is set for each line. After being extracted for each, it will be added over all rows.

The character labels thus created are stored in the storage unit 31, and under the control of the CPU 30, printing processing is performed on each of the arranged labels based on the stored data and the already set label information. Is applied.

Next, the process of changing the character size of a character string when inputting the character string will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when the user presses a predetermined key 6 as an instruction to display the size setting screen (# 300), the size of the currently designated character size is read from the storage unit 31 (# 301). Storage unit 31
Stores a character size setting table shown in FIG. 12, and this table holds character size information. Character size is 6 from SS to 3L
The size of each type of character is divided into three types of character shapes: square (square character), flat body (horizontal character), and long body (vertical character).

The printing unit 20 includes information on the size of the character size.
And the number of display dots on the liquid crystal display unit 7, and the number of display dots is read out at # 301. The dot interval of the printing unit 20 is about 0.141 mm, and the dot interval of the liquid crystal display unit 7 is about 0.5 mm. Therefore, the number of print dots and the number of display dots in this table are: print dot number x 0.141 mm ≈ display dot number x 0.5
mm (the number of print dots and the number of display dots are predetermined integers). Then, a quadrangle having the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the read character size as the dimensions of two sides is displayed in the right center portion of the liquid crystal display unit 7 (# 302). In addition, a selection screen for selecting a character string to be printed from three types of character shapes of a square, a flat body, and a long body is displayed on the upper left portion of the liquid crystal display unit 7 with S
A selection screen of character sizes from S to 3L is displayed on the lower left portion of the liquid crystal display unit 7. The quadrangle displayed in # 302 indicates the character size of the character string printed on the label by the printing unit 20, but the size may be slightly different. This is because the dot interval of the printing unit 20 and the dot interval of the liquid crystal display unit 7 are different as described above.

When the user operates the key 6 while looking at the display on the liquid crystal display unit 7 to instruct to change the character shape of the character string (# 303, # 304), the size of the character shape to be changed is stored in the storage unit. 31 is read from the table (# 30
5). When the user gives an instruction to change the character size from SS to 3L (# 303, # 3
06), the size of the character to be changed is read from the table of the storage unit 31 (# 307). Then, the read quadrangle whose vertical and horizontal dimensions are the dimensions of two sides is displayed in the right center portion of the liquid crystal display unit 7 (# 308).
From # 303 to # until the font size change process is completed
The processing of 308 is repeated (# 309).

The display on the liquid crystal display section 7 by the above-mentioned change processing is as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15. FIG. 13 is a display example of the character size changing process when the character shape of the character string to be printed is a square. First, FIG. 13A shows “3
It is a display example when a character having a size of L ″ is designated.
In this display example, a quadrangle indicating an outer frame of a square character size of “3L” is displayed in the right center portion of the liquid crystal display unit 7. This square is the size when actually printed on the label. Next, FIG. 13B is a display example when a character having a size of “LL” is designated. Below, FIG.
(C) to FIG. 13 (f) show display examples when characters of sizes from "L" to "SS" are designated.

Similarly, FIG. 14 shows a display example of the processing for changing the character size when the character shape of the character string to be printed is a flat body, and FIG. 15 shows that the character shape of the character string to be printed is a long body. The display examples of the character size changing process in each case are shown.

[0045]

According to the label printing apparatus of the present invention, all the printable characters stored in the storage means when the character size of the character string to be printed on a predetermined label is input. The vertical and horizontal dimensions of the character size to be changed are read out from the vertical and horizontal dimensions. A quadrangle having the dimensions thus read out as the dimensions of two sides is specified, and this quadrangle is displayed on the display means. Since this quadrangle represents the outer frame of the character size to be changed, the character size of the character string printed on the predetermined label can be grasped by this display.

As described above, when the character size is changed, the size is displayed in the actual size, which enables the user to perform smoother character editing and label creation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a label printing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal mechanism of the label printing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an internal mechanism of the label printing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a key arrangement of the label printing apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a sheet sensor.

FIG. 6 is a control block diagram in the label printing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a positional relationship of labels with respect to a label sheet.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating setting of an initial value of a character size in automatic character size setting.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating automatic setting of character size.

10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing a method of setting an initial value of a character size corresponding to a shape of a label.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a process of changing the character size of a character string.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the contents of a character size setting table.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example in a character size changing process.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a display example in a character size changing process.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a display example in a character size changing process.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Label printing device, 4 ... Label sheet, 4a ... Label, 6 '... Key input part, 7 ... Liquid crystal display part, 30 ... CP
U, 31 ... Storage unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A label printing device for inputting a desired character string and printing the input character string on each label arranged on a label sheet, wherein the label printing device comprises a storage means and a display means. The storage means stores vertical and horizontal dimensions of all printable character sizes, and the processing means stores the character size of a character string to be printed on a predetermined label. When the input of the change is input, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the character size to be changed are read from the storage means, and a quadrangle having two sides having these dimensions is displayed on the display means. Label printing device characterized by: