JPS6283152A - printer - 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] Technique Ice Ran The present invention relates to printers, and particularly to composite printing.

In general, type printers such as type wheel printers have a limited number of characters, and in order to be able to print more characters with a smaller number of characters, composite printing has been developed. ing.

In other words, 1. For example, if there is no printed yen symbol "¥", 1
By printing the character rYJ and the character r=" at the same printing position, the yen symbol "\" is printed.

When such composite printing is performed, various operations are performed on the -composite characters, so it is required to simplify the processing.

Purpose This invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to simplify composite printing processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a composite character table to control composite printing.

Hereinafter, a detailed explanation will be given based on one embodiment of the present invention.

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

In this printer, when a composite character code is input from the host side, the composite print control means A reads each operation (composite print sequence) information of the composite print from the composite character table B, and prints the print mechanism section C. control to print predetermined composite characters.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an example of a type wheel type printer embodying the present invention.

The outer casing of this printer consists of a lower case 1 and an upper case 2 that house the mechanical section and the control section, and a cover 3 that can be opened and closed for replacing type wheels, ribbon cassettes, etc. is equipped with character scale 4.

In addition, the operation panel 5 attached to the front of the upper case 2 has
PAUSE switch 6, line feed (L)
F) Switch 7, reset switch 8. A status display 10 consisting of a power lamp 9 and a 7-segment numeric display for displaying various statuses of the printer is attached.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are a schematic plan view and a front view showing an example of the mechanism of this printer.

In this mechanical section, a platen 22 is rotatably mounted between frames 21 and 21, which wraps and feeds paper to be printed.

This platen 22 is moved by a motor gear 24. An idle gear 25, an idle gear 26 that moves together with the idle gear 25, and a platen gear 2
7 to automatically feed paper.

Furthermore, manual operation knobs 28.28 are fixed to both ends of the platen 22, and by turning the knobs 28.28, paper can be manually loaded or removed.

Further, in front of this platen 22, a pail roller 30 is provided.
The vapor pail 31 equipped with the vapor pail 31 is biased toward the platen 22 and is swingably disposed.

On the other hand, a carriage 35 is mounted on a rod 33 and a stay 34 fixed between the frames 21 and 21 so as to be movable parallel to the platen 22 in its axial direction.

This carriage 35 has a cassette type type wheel 36.
A selection motor 37 consisting of a stepping motor equipped with a printer, a printing hammer 38 for hitting the type on the type wheel 3S, a ribbon cartridge 41 loaded with an ink ribbon 40, and the like are provided.

Further, a paper guide 42 for guiding the paper to the platen 22 when paper is inserted is attached to the front of the carriage 3S, and the carriage 35 is moved between the left hand position (LHM) and the right hand position during automatic paper insertion or paper ejection. The printing paper is moved to a substantially central position with respect to the position (RHM), and the printing paper is guided by the paper guide 42.

Then, a space motor 45 consisting of a stepping motor is attached to a subframe (not shown), and a space pulley 46 is fixed to its rotating shaft.
Two pulleys 47 and 48 are attached to a support plate (not shown) fixed to the
is rotatably supported.

These pulleys 4G, 47, 48 are stretched with a space wire 4, and the space wire 4 is fixed to the bottom surface of the carriage 35, and the carriage 35 is moved by a space motor 4S.

Further, a carriage home sensor 50 consisting of a transmission type photosensor is attached to the rear surface of the carriage 35, while
A temporary sensor 51 is attached to the right frame 21, which enters the gap between the carriage home sensor 50 when the carriage 35 is located at the home position.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control section of this printer.

The main controller 60 includes a mask microprocessor 61, a slave microprocessor 62, and an RO
It consists of M6'5, RAM64, l1065-67, etc.

The mask microprocessor 61 is 1, for example, an 8-bit C
This circuit has a built-in PU, ROM, RAM, Ilo, etc., and also serves as a composite print control means that controls controls other than line feed and space control of this printer.

The slave microprocessor 62 includes, for example, an 8-bit CPU, ROM, RAM, Ilo, etc., and is a circuit that controls the line feed and space control of this printer.

The ROM 63 includes, for example, a control program area for storing a printer control program as shown in FIG. 6, a conversion table area for storing a code conversion table for converting character codes from the host into type position (finger address) data, etc., and a composite character area. A composite character table area that stores a composite character table in which the printing sequence of is registered, a composite character menu area that stores information indicating the address area (hereinafter also referred to as "label") of each composite character in this composite character table area, etc. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the RAM 64 comprises a reception buffer area for temporarily storing data received from the host, a user area for registering composite character table data from the host, a working area for program execution, etc. do.

Then, the mask microprocessor 61 takes in various data such as character codes transferred from the host to the l1065, SP codes that instruct carriage movement, and LF codes that instruct line feed, and based on the received data, etc. Process.

That is, this mask microprocessor 61 outputs a hammer drive pulse to the hammer driver 70 to form a hammer magnet that forms the printing hammer 38! 18A is driven and controlled to cause the hammer 38B to strike the type on the type wheel 36.

Moreover, this mask microprocessor 61 is l10
Selection drive data is output to the selection driver 71 via the selection driver 71 to control the rotation of the selection motor 37, rotate the type wheel 36 in a predetermined direction by the required amount, and set the position where the desired type is struck by the printing hammer 38. Make it.

Furthermore, this master microprocessor 61
A ribbon feed drive pulse is outputted to the ribbon feed driver 72 via 06Ei to drive and control the ribbon feed motor 73, which is a stepping motor, to feed the ribbon 40 by a predetermined amount.

Furthermore, this mask microprocessor 61
Detection signals from a ribbon end sensor that detects the end of the ribbon 40, a paper end sensor that detects the absence of paper, a cover open switch that detects the opening and closing of the cover 3, etc. (not shown) are inputted via the I7066.

In addition, this mask microprocessor 61 has an I/1
Each state signal is inputted from the pause switch 6, line feed switch 7, and reset switch 8 attached to the operation panel (front panel) 5 via the control panel 7, and the self-test switch, baud rate switch, and protocol attached to the rear panel (not shown) are inputted. Inputs status signals from various functional switches such as switches.

Further, the mask microprocessor 61 determines the status of the printer based on input signals from each of these switches and sensors, and displays display data indicating the determination result via the l1067 including a display driver/controller. This mask microprocessor 61 also outputs to the status display 10 of the operation panel 5 to display numbers according to the status of this printer.

Line feed data and carriage movement data are sent to slave microprocessor 62.

On the other hand, the slave microprocessor 62 outputs line feed drive data to the line feed driver 80, drives and controls the line feed motor 23 to control rotation of the platen 22, and controls line feed and back line feed. .

The slave microprocessor 62 also outputs space drive data to the space driver 81 to drive and control the space motor 45 to move the carriage 35 in a predetermined direction by a required amount.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained with reference to FIG. 8 and subsequent figures.

First, as shown in FIG. 8, the mask microprocessor 61 reads a character code (for example, an ASCII code) from a receive buffer, pairs the ASCII code with a country code, and performs code conversion. Convert a single character code to a finger address (type wheel position) by accessing a table.

In this code conversion table, bits b6pb7 of the 8-bit configuration are set to "1" as shown in Figure S as finger address data for composite characters, and a serial number is written for each composite character as shown in Figure 10. This is where the attached data is stored.

In this case, only bit b7 of the finger address is set to r
l" and set the finger address of the first printed character, the finger address may overlap with other country codes, but by managing composite characters serially as described above, This eliminates the inconvenience of code duplication.

Therefore, when a character code is converted into a finger address using the code conversion table, if the character is a composite character, the corresponding data in the serial number as shown in FIG. 10 is read out as the finger address.

Therefore, bit b6+ of the data of that finger address
It is checked whether b7 is "1" to determine whether it is a composite character or not, and if it is not a composite character, the process moves to the normal printing processing routine.

On the other hand, if it is one composite character, the read address (label) of the composite character table corresponding to the finger address is determined by referring to the composite character menu.

Then, data is read from the read address of the composite character table, converted into a printer control code, and the composite character is printed according to the printer control code.

This composite character printing process will be specifically explained with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

First, the serial number of each composite character is, for example, as shown in FIG.
1000001J is the character [D].

...rLloooloL" is the character "0",...
Suppose you create it like this.

For example, if a composite character "6" is transferred, if the character code of this character "6" is converted, the finger address will be rllo.

0101J is obtained.

And bits b6+b7 of this finger address are “
1", so it is judged to be a composite character, and the finger address (composite character serial number) rll is determined as shown in Figure 11.
It is determined that the address of the composite character table corresponding to ooololJ is the address of label QPRT5.

Therefore, data is sequentially read from the address corresponding to the label GPRT5 of the 5 composite character table. GPRT5 of this composite character table stores data indicating the composite print sequence of rlA to 4IIJ and r'00H' (NUL code) indicating the end of the composite print sequence.

For example, the composite printing sequence for the character "6" is rOJ printing → 2-step space → r-J printing → 2-step backspace, and rl of GPRT5 in 1 composition table.
“○” is printed on A, I BJ.

r2A, 2 step space for 2DJ, r3A.

3nJ stores r-J printing, and r4A and lnJ store data for a 2-step back space, respectively.

Then, the data read from the label GPRT5 of the composite character table is combined as 2-byte printer control data, and a printing operation is executed according to this printer control 1-roll data.

As a result, the printing operation of "O" printing -> 2 step space ->"゛" printing -> 2 step backspace is executed, and the character "6" is printed.

Next, the process of adding a new composite character to this printer from the host side will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

As mentioned above, the composite character finger address is 8 bits 1
~ configuration, its upper 2 bits b6. b, is used as a bit to indicate a composite character, and the remaining bits. Since the 6 pits from ~b5 are used as bits indicating the serial number, the serial number can be assigned 64 characters.

Therefore, for example, 30 characters out of 64 characters are stored in ROM63.
The remaining 34 characters are allocated to the composite character table of
It is allocated to 64 user areas. That is, the labels 31 to 64 of the composite character menu indicate the address of the user area of the RAM 64.

When storing a composite character table in this user area, the host side inputs, for example, rESCJ + r+
Suppose that J is transferred to instruct addition of a composite character.

The mask microprocessor 61 determines whether the received data is ES
Determine whether it is a C code or not, and if it is an ESC code, read the primary data from the buffer, and if the data is "+"
If it is a code, it is determined that a composite character has been added.

First, it is determined whether or not there is an empty area in the user area, and if there is no empty area, an error process is performed, and if there is an empty area, it is checked whether or not there is next data in the buffer.

Then, if there is data in the buffer, that data is NU
After determining whether it is an L code or not and registering the data in the user area if it is not a NUL code, the process returns to the process of determining whether there is data in the buffer or not, and if it is a NUL code, it is stored in the user area. After registering, the process ends.

As a result, as mentioned above, we have prepared a composite character menu that specifies the address of this user area using the finger address after character code conversion. Print sequence data can be read and printed.

Furthermore, when changing the registered composite character table in the user area, it is sufficient to specify the address to be changed and then transfer the data of the composite print sequence.

In this way, this printer is equipped with 1 composite character table and controls composite printing according to this table, which simplifies the composite printing process, reduces memory capacity, eliminates bugs, and 9. Adds composite characters. , it is possible to simplify changes.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which one composite character table was constructed from ROM and RAM.

Only one of them may be provided.

Example--As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to simplify the composite printing process.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of this invention, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an example of a printer implementing this invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic plan views showing the mechanical parts thereof. and its front view. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control section thereof, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are ROM and RAM map diagrams thereof. FIG. 8 is a flow diagram showing an example of printing processing executed by the main controller. FIGS. 9 to 11 are explanatory diagrams that will provide detailed explanations, respectively, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of registering a composite character table for the user area. 22... Carriage 36... Type wheel 38
...Printing hammer 60...Main controller 6
4...RAM 1 Figure 2 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 11 Figure 12

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A movable type printer, characterized in that it is provided with a composite character table storing a printing sequence of composite characters, and a composite printing control means for controlling printing of composite characters according to the composite character table. printer. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the composite character table is constituted by a rewritable memory.