JP2793349B2 - Printing equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a function of printing characters by enlarging and shifting characters.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when characters are enlarged in the vertical direction using a dot matrix printer, a rectangular box representing a character font is directly enlarged and printed twice.

FIG. 10 is a development view of the character font described above. Here, FIG. 10 (A) is a view in which the character "E" is developed as a standard, and is composed of 36 (horizontal) × 40 (vertical) dots. The bottom line of a character dot is called a baseline, and the bottom of a rectangular box representing a character font is called a footline.

FIG. 10 (B) is a diagram in which the character “E” is expanded twice and is composed of 72 horizontal × 80 vertical dots. In this case, since the font shown in (A) is simply enlarged, the baseline has risen. To correct this, FIG. 10 (C) shifts the entire font of (B) downward.

In FIG. 10 (C), the baseline is located at the same position as the developed view of FIG. 10 (A), but there is a protruding portion shown by oblique lines. In the illustrated case (character “E”), character data does not exist in the protruding portion, but data may exist here depending on the character (for example, “g”, “P”, “J”).

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, in the conventional example, since the rectangular box of the character font is simply enlarged, the baseline of the character is not aligned with the enlarged character and the non-enlarged character. For this reason, there is a drawback in that the printing is difficult to see because the character string balance is poor.

Also, if the enlarged data is shifted downward or the characters are enlarged based on the baseline in order to align the baseline, there will be a square box of the character font below the footline. (No. 10
(See the figure.) There is a disadvantage that printing is divided into three times and the printing speed is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus configured to execute a function of enlarging and shifting a character and printing it in a short time and easily in view of the above points.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, a printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a printing unit that prints a character by scanning a head with reference to a footline of the character, and a printing device that prints a character pattern. Editing means for enlarging and shifting, and when the character pattern is enlarged and shifted by the editing means for printing, a foot indicating whether or not the enlarged and shifted character pattern is printed out of the foot line. A storage unit for storing under-line information corresponding to each character; and determining whether or not a pattern of a character whose line to be printed is enlarged and shifted out of the foot line is printed based on the under-line information. Determination means for determining whether or not a character pattern obtained by enlarging and shifting a line to be printed by the determination means protrudes from the foot line and is printed. And control means for controlling the printing means so that the number of times of scanning of the head by the printing means is changed according to different results.

[Operation] In the present invention having the above-described configuration, since the under-footline information is stored in advance, the enlarged and shifted character pattern of the line to be printed protrudes from the footline by the under-footline information. It is possible to easily and quickly determine whether or not there is a case where printing is performed, and to perform printing by changing the number of times of scanning of the head according to the determination result.

For example, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when enlarging a character, the font data is shifted in a predetermined direction, whereby the baseline of the character can be aligned.

Further, by determining whether or not a dot comes below the reference line (foot line) when the base line is aligned, if the dot does not come below the reference line (foot line), the print is set to N. The printing is divided (for example, divided into two), and when a dot comes below the foot line, the print is divided into N + 1 (for example, divided into three).

Furthermore, when printing is performed in line units, dots below the reference line (foot line) are printed simultaneously with the dots in the next line when there is a print request for the next line, and printed in the next line. When there is no request, only the area below the reference line (foot line) is printed.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a dot matrix printer to which the present invention is applied. As shown in the figure, the present dot matrix printer has a storage means A for storing dot expansion information obtained by enlarging a standard character font, and a base line of an expanded character formed by the dot expansion information as a predetermined reference line. Shift control means B for shifting to match, determination means C for determining whether or not font information exists beyond the reference line as a result of the shift control, and it is determined that font information does not exist by the determination. In this case, the enlarged character is divided into N times and printed (N = 2, 3,...), And if it is determined that the font information is present, the enlarged character is divided into (N + 1) times and printed. And a printer E. Here, when printing is performed in the (N + 1) -time division, it is preferable that the final division printing is performed simultaneously with the printing of the next line.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the dot matrix printer shown in FIG. 1 in more detail. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU for controlling the entire apparatus, which operates according to a program 2b (flowcharts in FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8) stored in a ROM 2. In addition, CG is in ROM2
(Character generator) 2a (a structural diagram is shown in FIG. 3) is stored, and this data is developed and printed as shown in FIG. 3 is for temporarily storing data
The RAM is a RAM, and includes a collection buffer 3a, a one-line buffer 3b, and a print buffer 3c.

Here, the collection buffer 3a is a buffer for storing a plurality of lines of characters input from the keyboard 8, and the characters are stored as one-byte codes. The one-line buffer 3b receives one line of data from the collection buffer, and has code, size, and position information in character units. Print buffer 3c is a one-line buffer
One line of data is received from 3b, the character code is expanded as dot information from a CG (character generator) 2a, and a 36 × 40 dot font is enlarged and shifted, and temporarily stored as a printing style.

4 is a power supply, 5 is a CPU bus for transmitting and receiving data control signals, 6 is a motor driver for controlling a motor, 7 is a thermal driver for controlling a thermal head, 8 is a keyboard as an input device, and 9 is an input device. Display (LCD etc.) for outputting characters and various messages, etc., 10 is a motor for driving the carriage and paper feeding operation and the thermal head, 11 is a thermal head for printing, 12 is heated by the thermal head An ink ribbon for transferring the ink to paper; 13, a printer unit equipped with a motor, a thermal head, and an ink ribbon; and 14, a floppy disk drive circuit for driving a floppy for storing and storing input data.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of a CG (character generator) 2a. This CG includes a directory section 31 and a data section 35. The directory section 31 is composed of 8 bytes each corresponding to each character code. The address to the data section (2 bytes), character width (1 byte), frame information (3 bytes), reserved area (2 bytes) There is. Data section
35 is framed and stored, X1 is the left blank count of character data, X2 is the horizontal dot count of character data, X3
Is the count of the right blank part of the character data, the count of the upper blank part of Y1, Y2 is the vertical count of the character data, and Y3 is the count of the lower blank part.
It is stored as 34 (excluding: X3, Y3). Here, X3 is obtained by (character width-X1-X2), and Y3 is {predetermined number of vertical dots (here, 40)-
Y1−Y2}. The most significant bit 33 is footline lower information, which indicates whether or not data exists in the hatched portion when the character is enlarged and shifted as shown in FIG. 10 (C).

FIG. 4 is a structural diagram of the one-line buffer 3b and the print buffer 3c. Here, 41 indicates the first line of the one-line buffer 3b, and there are now characters "L", "H", and "J".
Here, “L” is a standard size, and “H” and “J” are enlarged characters of a quadruple size.

The position information indicates the absolute position of the print buffer 3c. Here, reference numeral 42 denotes the second line of the one-line buffer 3b, in which characters "F", "E", and "I" are all stored in a standard size.

43, 44, and 45 show the one-line buffer 3b for the two lines developed into the print buffer 3c. Since the quadruple-width characters exist in the first line, the print buffer is divided into three lines. 43 expands only the data above “H” and “J”, 44 expands the lower side of “L” and “H” and the lower side of “J”, and 45 expands “F”, “ The data below the E "," I "and" J "footlines are expanded. That is, "J" is dot-expanded over three lines.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a power-on sequence of the present dot matrix. First, when the power is turned on, an initial operation is performed in step S501. The initial operation is to clear / initialize the RAM, initialize the I / O ports, and initialize the printer. In step S502, it is determined whether or not there is a key input, and if not, step S502 is repeated again.

If there is a key input, it is determined in step S503 whether the key is a character key. If it is not a character key, control is transferred to step S509. If it is a character key, it is determined in step S504 whether or not the size has been switched immediately before the character key is input. If there is a size switch, the size switch code is stored in the collection buffer 3a in step S505, and step S505 is performed.
Move to S506. If it is not the size switching code, step S5
Move to 06 and put the character code into the collection buffer 3a. In step S507, the latest one row of data in the collection buffer 3a is expanded in the one-line buffer 3b.
In step S508, the data for one line is displayed on the display 9 from the one-line buffer 3b, and the process proceeds to step S502.

Now, in a step S509, it is determined whether or not the key is a size switching key. If the key is the size switching key, the size information is switched in step S510, and the process proceeds to step S502. On the other hand,
If the key is not the size switching key, it is checked in step S511 whether the key is a return key. If not a return key, step S502
Transition to. In the case of the return key, a printing operation described later is performed in step S512, and the process proceeds to step S502 to continue the processing.

FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8 are flowcharts showing a printing procedure in the present dot matrix printer.

In step S601, it is determined whether there is an enlarged character in one line to be printed. If not, step S7 in FIG.
Fly to 01. If there is an enlarged character, one character is obtained from the one-line buffer 3b in step S602. In step S603, it is determined whether or not the acquired character is an enlarged character. If it is not an enlarged character, the process proceeds to step S607. If the character is an enlarged character, the upper side of the character data is dot-expanded in the work memory in step S604 to enlarge the character data.

In step S605, the enlarged character data is shifted downward. In step S606, the enlarged shifted dot data is stored in the print buffer 3c. At this time, step S8
Since the data to be stored in steps 04 to S806 (described later with reference to FIG. 8) already exists in the print buffer 3c (via step S813 in FIG. 8), the logical sum is obtained and stored in the print buffer 3c.

Next, in step S607, it is determined whether or not all of the one-line buffer 3b has been expanded to the print buffer 3c. If data remains, the process proceeds to step s602 and the process is repeated. When the data development is completed, the contents of the print buffer 3c are printed in step s608.

In step S609, the print buffer 3c is cleared. In step S610, carriage return and line feed are performed, and the flow advances to step S701 in FIG.

The printing sequence up to this point is as shown in FIG.
45 parts.

In step S701 in FIG. 7, one character is acquired again from the head of the one-line buffer 3b printed in the previous sequence.
In step S702, the character data is expanded in the print buffer 3c.

In step S703, it is determined whether the character is an enlarged character. If the character is not an enlarged character, the process proceeds to step S706. If the character is an enlarged character, the lower side of the character data is enlarged in step S704, and step S705
Shifts character data down.

In step S706, it is determined whether the development of the entire data has been completed. If not, the process returns to step S701.
When the printing is completed, the contents of the print buffer 3c are printed in step S707, the print buffer 3c is cleared in step S708, a carriage turn and a line feed are performed in step S709, and the process returns to step S801 in FIG.

By the printing sequence from step S701 to step S709, the portion 44 shown in FIG. 4 is printed.

In step S801 in FIG. 8, one character is obtained again from the head of the one-line buffer 3b printed in the printing sequence of FIGS. 6 and 7. In step S802, it is determined whether or not the acquired character is an enlarged character. If it is not an enlarged character, the process proceeds to step S807. If the character is an enlarged character, the information under the footline is checked in step S803. If there is no dot below the foot line, the process moves to step S807. If there is a dot below the foot line, the character data is expanded in the print buffer 3c in step S804.

In step S805, the character data is expanded below the baseline. In step S806, the character data is shifted upward.

As a result, the dot under the footline of the character "J" of 45 shown in FIG. 4 is developed in the print buffer 3c.

In step S807, it is determined whether or not all data has been expanded. If not, the process returns to step S801 to continue the process. When the processing is completed, it is determined in step S808 whether or not there is a print request for the next line. If there is a print request, the one-line buffer 3b of the next line is acquired in step S813 and the sixth line
The flow advances to step S601 in the figure, and the logical sum of the dot-expanded data in FIG. 8 and the print data in the next line is printed.

If there is no print request for the next line in step S808,
In S809, it is checked whether or not there is data in the print buffer 3c. If not, the process ends. If there is, the contents of the print buffer 3c are printed in step S810, the print buffer 3c is cleared in step S811, and only the carriage return is performed in step S812, and the process ends.

Another Embodiment The flowchart shown in FIG. 9 shows a sequence from power-on to printing in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a base line alignment process for enlarged characters when printing is performed not in units of lines but in units of characters.

First, when the power is turned on, an initial process is performed in step S901, and a key input is waited in step S902. Steps
In S903, it is determined whether or not the input key is a character key. If it is not a character key, the process proceeds to step S915.
If it is a character key, use the collection buffer in step S904.
Store one character in 3a.

In step S905, it is determined whether or not the character is an enlarged character. If it is not an enlarged character, the character is printed in step S914 and the process returns to step S902. Step S906 for enlarged characters
Then, the paper is returned by one line, the upper side of the enlarged character is enlarged and shifted in step S907, and printing is performed. In step S908, the paper is advanced by one line, and the lower side of the enlarged character is enlarged and shifted in step S909 and printed.

In step S910, the information under the footline is checked. If there is no dot below the foot line, the process returns to step S902. If there is a dot, the paper is advanced by one line in step S911, and in step S912, the enlarged character is shifted and printed below the foot line of the enlarged character. In step S913, return the paper by one line,
Return to S902.

If it is not a character key in step S903, it is determined in step S915 whether the key is a size switching key. If it is not the size switching key, the process returns to step S902. When the key is the size switching key, the size is switched in step S916, the process returns to step S902, and the process is continued.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the font data is shifted when the character is enlarged, thereby aligning the baseline of the character, improving the balance of the printed character string, and obtaining easy-to-read printing. It becomes possible.

In addition, when printing characters aligned with the base line in "line" units, if there is a print dot below the foot line, it is printed at the same time as the next line, making it possible to speed up printing. .

Furthermore, when printing characters aligned in the base line in units of "characters", control is performed so that the printing operation is not performed when there is no printing dot below the foot run-in, thereby eliminating unnecessary movements. Printing speed can be improved.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the under-footline information is stored in advance, and the enlarged and shifted character pattern of the line to be printed protrudes from the footline according to the under-footline information. It is possible to easily and quickly determine whether or not there is a case where printing is performed, and to perform printing by changing the number of scans of the head according to the determination result.
It is possible to achieve a special effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a dot matrix printer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a more detailed configuration diagram of the present embodiment, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a structure of a character generator (CG), FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of a one-line buffer and a print buffer. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a power-on sequence in this embodiment. FIGS. 6 to 8 are flowcharts showing a printing procedure in this embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure from power-on to printing in another embodiment to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 10 is a development view of a character font. 1 ... CPU, 2 ... ROM, 2a ... Character generator (CG), 2b ... Program ROM, 3 ... RAM, 3a ... Collection buffer, 3b ... One line buffer, 3c ... Print buffer, 4 ... Power supply, 5 ... CPU bus, 6 ... Motor driver, 7 ... Thermal head driver, 8 ... Keyboard, 9 ... Display, 10 ... Motor, 11 ... Thermal head, 12 ... Ink ribbon , 13 ... Printer unit, 14 ... Floppy disk drive circuit.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 2/51 B41J 2/485

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printing means for printing a character by scanning a head based on a foot line of a character, an editing means for enlarging and shifting a character pattern, and a character pattern enlarged and shifted by the editing means. When printing, a storage means for storing, for each character, information below the footline indicating whether or not the enlarged and shifted character pattern is printed outside the footline, for each character; and Discriminating means for discriminating, based on the information under the footline, whether or not the enlarged and shifted character pattern is printed out of the footline; and the enlarged and shifted character pattern of the line to be printed by the discriminating means. Is printed by changing the number of times of scanning of the head by the printing means depending on the result of determination as to whether or not the print is out of the foot line. A control unit for controlling the printing unit so as to cause the printing unit to perform the printing.