JPS6034873A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To dispense with a switch for setting a paper feed amount while efficiently performing printing to printing paper, by automatically setting the position of each printing line corresponding to the character scale to be printed in said line. CONSTITUTION:An input part 1 is equipped with a scale key 1b for setting a character scale. CPU2 imparts printing data and control data to an X/Y plot controller 4 corresponding to input content. The memory 7 for storing various data of the X/Y plot controller 4 is constituted of registers SC, SC' for storing character scale data, a register KC for storing keycode data due to an ASK keycode and a register C for storing plot direction data and a step moving order S, a leftward moving order 1 and an up/down order U/D are imparted to an X-direction plotter driver 10 from the X/Y plot controller 4 while the step moving order S and a reverse rotation order R are imparted to a Y-direction plotter driver 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an electronic printing device that can change the character scale to nine.

[Prior art and its problems]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some electronic printing devices, such as electronic typewriters, are capable of selecting two types of character scales. In the electronic type 2 ita, two types of paper feed amounts can be selected using a switch depending on the character scale.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional system in which the amount of paper feed is selected by a switch, there is a problem that hardware for the switch is required and it takes time and effort to change the switch each time the character scale is changed. Furthermore, if the paper feed is fixed to match the maximum character scale, there is a problem that when printing many lines with a small character scale, the space between each line becomes large, increasing the amount of waste that cannot be printed.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the position of each printing line is automatically set according to the printing character scale in that line, thereby eliminating the need for a switch for setting the one-sheet feed cover, and printing. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device that can efficiently print on paper.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, a case where the present invention is implemented in an electronic type 2 plotter using a drum type X-Y plotter will be explained with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an input unit which includes printing input keys such as alphabet keys and numeric keys, a print key Za for instructing printing, and a scale key lb for setting a character scale. For example, there are 5 character scales from scale "1" to "5", and scale key Z
A desired character scale is set by a combination of b and numerical keys. The above character scale is based on "l", and each scale "2" to "5" is the character suf-yl
The size is 2 to 5 times the size of the characters in the vertical and horizontal directions.

Then, the data input from the input section 1 is sent to the CPU.
Sent to J. This CPUt sends the input data to the display section 3.
At the same time, print data and control data are given to the X/Y plot controller 24 according to the input contents. The X/Y plot controller 4 includes a print buffer 5.0 that stores data for one print line. 6. Character generator that stores plot direction code, up/down/code, end code, etc. for each character code for each step. Memory 7%X register for storing each inserted data8.
A Y register 9 and the like are connected. In the memory 7,
Character scale data storage register SC, 8C: 'Register KC for storing key code data in ASCII code
, a register C for storing plot direction data, and the like are configured. Further, blocked two-way controllers 10 and 11 are connected to the X/Y plot controller 4.

The plotter section 12 is driven by these drivers 10.11. One of the block drivers io performs plot control in the %X direction, and controls the movement of the print head in the plotter section 12, and the other plotter driver Atx performs plot control in the %Y direction, and controls the movement of the print head in the plotter section 12. The movement of the printing paper in the section 12 is controlled. The X/Y plot controller 4 sends step movement commands S, leftward movement commands, and up/down commands U/D to the X direction block driver and -IO.
is given, and a step movement command S and a reverse rotation command it are given to the Y-direction block driver Il.

FIG. 2 shows a data storage example 1 of the character generator 6, for example, a data storage example for burning the letters rDJ of the alphabet, where rtJ is the print head's 1) OWN command code, 10'' is the UP command code, and [END , J is the character end code, and the other numbers indicate the plot direction. The numbers indicating the plot direction are determined as shown in Figure 3, where "4" indicates the "+X" direction, "5"
" is in the "-X" direction, "8" is in the "+Y" direction, "ioJ is in the 1-Y" direction, "t2J is in the composite direction of "8" and "4",
"13" is the composite direction of "5" and "18", "14J" is "4"
” and “lO”, “15” is “5” and rlOJ
shows the direction of synthesis.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained with reference to the four charts in FIGS. 4 and 5. When entering data,
First, a desired character scale is designated by a combined operation of the scale key 1b and the numerical keys. If no scale is specified, the minimum character scale [J is selected. Therefore, when data such as each 葎 character is input from the input section 1, it is displayed on the 1 display section 3, and the input code is C.
P.L.J.? is sent to the X/Y plot controller 24, and as shown in step A1 of FIG.
written to a register. In this case, the input code is written to the KC register as an ASCII code, but if the character scale is specified using the scale key Jb and the numerical keys from rlJ to "5", the numerical values from 13tJ to "35" are written as character scale data. Written to the KC register. Then, as shown in step A, the data input is performed using the scale key Z.
It is determined whether or not the operation has been completed after the operation of b. If the scale key has been operated, the process proceeds to step A8, and it is determined whether the contents of the KC register are within the range of "31" to "35". If the contents of the KC register are outside the range of "31" to "35", there is no corresponding character scale, so step A
4, step 2-processing is performed and the input processing is completed. Also, if the contents of the KC register are in the range of "31" to "35", proceed from step A to step -rKC.
-30J is calculated to obtain the actual character scale data, and the value is stored in the KC register. Next, the process proceeds to step 8, where it is determined whether the contents of the KC register are larger than the character scale data held in the SC register up to that point.

In the case of KC) 8C, the contents of the KC register are written to the SC register as shown in step A.

That is, store the maximum value of character scale data in the %SCSC register and that print line, and then proceed to step A.
, proceed to . In addition, in step A6 above, KC)
If it is determined that the SC condition is not satisfied, the process immediately proceeds to step A, where the contents of the KC register are written to the print buffer 6 and the input process is ended. If it is determined in step A2 that the data has not been input after operating the scale key, the process proceeds to step A9, where it is determined whether the print buffer 5 is full or not.

If it is not full, proceed to step A above. Also.

If it is determined in step A that the print buffer 5 is full, step A. Error handling is performed in .

Print data and character scale data are written into the print buffer 5 as described above. Figure 6 shows print buffer 6
This shows an example of data storage, rA as print data.
Letters of the alphabet from J to rlJ are written to rDJ.

The letters rEJ and rFJ are in character school 2, [G
J, @IJ.

The letter of the month r is specified on the letter scale l.

Since the characters rAJ to "C" have no scale specified, they are processed as characters of scale l. The print buffer 5 also includes a line end code UE after the print data.
ND, J are written.

In order to print the data stored in the print buffer 5, the print key 18 in the input section 1 is operated. By operating this print key 1B, a printing operation is performed according to the flow chart shown in FIG. First, as shown in step B1 of FIG. 5, the print head located at the home position of the row is moved (8Cxa) in the direction of the numerator -YJ force. In this case, i.e. one row of Y
Since the direction is set to 6 steps, one character of school data is multiplied by 6.

In addition, the home position is set at the upper left end (HPI) of the print line as shown in Figure 7, and the scale of the print line is set to match the maximum value of the print character scale in that line by the process in step B1 above. The position of the print head relative to the recording paper moves to the home position (HP, ) of the first print character. As a result, the print head moves to the lower left end of the print line at the start of printing. Next, in step B, the standard "Ol" is written as character scale data in the SC register, and then, as shown in step B1, the first print data is read from the print buffer 5 to the KC register. Next, the process proceeds to step B4, where it is determined whether or not the content read into the KC register is a scale code. If it is a scale code, the content of the KC register is transferred to the 80 register as shown in step B. Next, proceed to step B6, and read the next print data from the print buffer 5.
Read it to the register and return to step B4. If it is determined in step B that the content of the KC register is not a scale code, the process proceeds to step B and specifies the area of the character generator 6 corresponding to the character code held in the %KC register. Next, as shown in step B, the first step data in the designated area of the character generator 6 is set in the read %CCL register. Next, as shown in step BoK, after setting the character scale data "Ol" in the SC' register, the process proceeds to step BIG, where X/Y is set based on the contents of the C register.
A drive signal is sent from the plot controller 4 to the driver 10.11 to move the print head of the block section 12 to print, and at the same time update the contents of the X register 8 and Y register 9 as shown in step Bll. Then, in step B□, it is determined whether the scale data held in the sc' register and the SC register are equal. If they are not equal, the contents of the SC register are r+lJ in step BI8, and step B is executed. Return to

That is, if the one-character scale "l" is specified, step Bl! At the first judgment, SC/=SC,
Finish moving the print head for that step, but
If a character scale of "2" or more is specified, steps B1-B0 are repeated depending on the size of the scale. Then, in step B4 (・te SC
If it is determined that '=SC, the process proceeds to step B14,
The character generator 6 also reads the next step data and sets it in the C register. Next, in step B□, it is determined whether the data read into the C register is an end code, and if it is not an end code, step B
Return to step 1 and repeat the printing process as described above.

Now, for example, if the character rDJ is printed, the step data shown in FIG. 2 is read out from the character generator 6. In other words, step data rtJ is read out from the character generator 6 first. .

This step data rlJ is a DOWN command to lower the print head and bring it into contact with the print paper. and the first order 6
Data of "8" is read out for the step. This data "8" indicates the K "+YJ direction as shown in FIG. 3, and therefore the print head moves from the home position to "
Move 6 steps in the ``Y'' direction. In the following three steps, data "4" is read out, and the print head is driven three steps in the "10X" direction. The next step data is "14"
The print head is driven in the direction of combination of "+X" and "-Y". Next, "lO" is 4 steps 11"15'
J is read in 1 step, “5” is read in 3 steps and rDJ
Ends printing for characters.

Thereafter, step data of "0" is read out, and the print head is commanded to be UP. Subsequently, six steps of data "4" are read out, and the print head is moved to the home position for the next print character (lower left end of the 1 print character). After that, the character end code 1'-EN D, J is read from the character generator 6.0 When printing for one character is finished as described above, the character end code 1'-EN1), J is read from the character generator 6 to the C register. Since the data is read out, the judgment result in step B0 becomes Yl, and the process advances to step BI6, where the next print data is read from the print buffer 6 and written into the KC register. Then step B
Proceeding to Step 11, it is determined whether or not the data read into the KC register is the line end code [END, J. If it is not the 1 line end code [END, J, the process returns to step B4 and prints the next character. Start. Thereafter, similar processing is repeated to sequentially read and print the character data held in the print buffer 5. and.

From print buffer 5, the line end code [EN
1), J is read out, and the judgment result in step 13ty is Y.
It becomes ES and proceeds to step B1M. This step B1
11 returns the print head, then step B
As shown in 19, the print head is moved in the 6-step (-Y) direction. That is, step B51l*
Bil+ moves the print head to the upper left end of the next line, that is, the home position HP of the line. FIG. 7 shows an example of printing, and the printing on the second line corresponds to the contents stored in the print buffer 5 shown in FIG. In other words, since no character scale is specified for the first rAJ to "C", they are printed in the standard character scale l, and for "D" to rFJ
・Character scale 2. rGJ~[lJt is printed with character scale l. As described above, each print line is automatically set according to the maximum character scale in that line.

In addition, in the above embodiment, even when uppercase letters are specified, printing is possible in one line, but if uppercase letters are specified,
And when the print buffer 5 is filled with data,
Of course, the printing will span multiple lines, but 1
In view of the gist of the present invention, the line spacing in this case should naturally match the maximum scale of the characters on each line. In this case, a processing step may be added to search for the maximum scale character in the data printed on the next line every time one line is printed.

In the above embodiment, the printing operation is performed by operating the print key 18, but each time data is input, it is determined whether or not the data is within the one-line printable area. One line may be automatically printed at the time of input.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an X-Y plotter was used that moves the print head in the X direction and the print paper in the Y direction, but
The same method can be implemented even when using a YY block having a print head that moves in both -Y directions. Also, it can be implemented even when writing is limited to horizontal writing but not vertically. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to an X-Y plotter, but can also be implemented in a dot double link printing device, for example, in which the size of printed characters is variable. In addition, it is not limited to typewriters,
The actual size of the print data can be changed arbitrarily using a 6-mix printing device.
1FfA is possible [Effect of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the position of each print line is automatically set according to the print character scale in that line, so the optimum line is always set. Can be printed at intervals,
It is possible to provide a printing device that eliminates the need for a paper feed setting switch, etc., and can efficiently print on printing paper.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of data storage of a character generator. FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are diagrams showing the definition contents of direction data. ' Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing processing operations during data input, Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing processing operations during printing, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of data storage in the print buffer.
Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of printing. 1...Input section, Ja...Print key, lb...
Scale key, 2...CPU, 4...X/Y print controller, 5...Print buffer %6...Character generator, 7...Memory, 8...X register. 9...Y register 1' * 11...Guptutadonipa, 12...Block part. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 2, Figure 3! I! I! Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] A print buffer that stores a plurality of print data for which print scales are individually specified, a scale memory that stores the maximum print scale of the print data in this print buffer, and a scale memory that stores the maximum print scale of the print data in this print buffer, and a At this time, there is a means for setting a print start position of one line of data corresponding to the maximum print scale stored in the scale memory, and a means for printing the print data in the print buffer from the print start position set by this means. 1. A printing device characterized by comprising means for printing on an individually designated printing scale.