JP2907703B2 - Printer operation information collection device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operation information collecting apparatus capable of tracking the history of operations performed so far when a failure occurs in a printer such as a serial dot printer having an operation panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional printer is provided with a hexadecimal number dump function as a function for collecting information that can be used for diagnosis when a failure occurs. This hexadecimal dump function
As shown in the flow of FIG. 4, after turning on the printer, a specific key switch on the operation panel is pressed to set the hexadecimal dump mode instead of the normal operation mode. The received print data is stored in a memory in hexadecimal code format, and can be collectively printed out.

[0003] Problems that occur in the printer are caused by a certain operation performed by the user on the operation panel, for example, an operation of switching from a cut sheet to a continuous form, or a line feed operation of only a few lines after the paper is set. There are many cases.

In addition, the operation method has been described by telephone in response to an inquiry from the user. However, when the user performs the operation according to the description, a failure may occur, and the user wants to confirm whether the user has performed the operation correctly. There are cases.

However, the diagnostic information obtained by the conventional hexadecimal dump function does not collect such information on the operation performed by the user, and thus is not very useful for tracking down the cause of the failure where the operation is a point. .

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to enable a printer having an operation panel to collect information indicating an operation history when necessary.

[0007]

A plurality of operation switches are provided.
Operation information collection device equipped with an operation panel
Oite, pre among the plurality of operation switches of the operation panel
A first operation switch and a second operation switch
Switch was first operated after power-up
Monitor the first operation switch after turning on the power.
Operation information storage mode when operation is detected
Is set, and the second operation switch is first turned on after the power is turned on.
When the operation is detected, the operation information print mode is
Mode setting means to be set and operation information storage mode setting
Every time any operation switch on the operation panel is operated
The operation switch identification data is stored in the nonvolatile memory
Operation information storage means for storing the write operation information at the turn,
When the operation information print mode is set,
Operation information to read the stored operation information and print out
Report printing means .

FIG. 1 shows the principle configuration of the present invention. FIG.
, 1 is a printer to which the present invention is applied.

A print control unit 2 analyzes print data sent from the host computer, controls printing, and performs various controls in the printer. Reference numeral 3 denotes a printing mechanism, which includes a print head, a platen,
Including drive motors.

Reference numeral 4 denotes an operation panel, which is used for displaying an operation state of the printer and for manually operating a mechanism. 5 is a liquid crystal display.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a plurality of switches 6a, 6b, 6c,
.. Are operation switches. 6a is a page break switch. 6b is a line feed switch.

Reference numeral 6c denotes a reverse line feed switch. Reference numeral 7 denotes an operation switch input unit that has a role of identifying an operation switch that has been operated, such as being pressed, and activating a corresponding control function.

Reference numeral 8 denotes an operation information collecting device provided according to the present invention. Reference numeral 9 denotes an operation information storage unit, which performs a control for sequentially storing operation information indicating the operation of each of the operation switches 6 in the operation state, each of the operation switches being operated.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a nonvolatile memory, which is used for storing operation information. Reference numeral 11 denotes an operation information printing unit, which controls to sequentially read out and print out operation information stored in the nonvolatile memory 10 in the operating state.

Reference numeral 12 denotes an operation instructing unit, which performs control for enabling the operation information storage unit 9 or the operation information printing unit 11 to an operation state based on an instruction by operating a specific operation switch on the operation panel 4, for example. .

[0016]

By providing the operation information collecting apparatus of the present invention in a printer, the history information of the operation performed by the user from the operation panel of the printer can be instructed from the operation panel when it becomes necessary for diagnosis at the time of failure. By doing so, it can be easily created and obtained in printed form, which makes it easy to analyze the operating state leading to the failure when the failure that occurred in the printer is related to the operation of the user. , It is possible to make an accurate diagnosis.

[0017]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the configuration of FIG. 1 is referred to as necessary.

FIG. 2 shows the operation instructing means 12 shown in FIG.
3 is a processing flow of an embodiment in which is realized by software.
In this embodiment, the operation instructing means 12 has the same function as the conventional one.
A hexadecimal dump mode for performing a hexadecimal dump process (not shown in FIG. 1), an operation information storage mode for activating the operation information storage unit 9 in FIG. 1, and an operation information printing unit 11 for FIG. It has a function of setting three modes, namely, an operation information print mode.

These three modes are designated by the operation switches 6 on the operation panel 4. In order to specify these modes, it is easy to provide dedicated operation switches, but usually the space for the operation panel of the printer is extremely limited, and it is used only for maintenance such as mode specification. It is not advisable to provide a special operation switch that cannot be used in terms of operation panel design, and it is efficient to use an existing operation switch.

As a method of making an existing operation switch, which is respectively assigned a unique function, available for another different function, a special function is assigned to a specific combination of two operation switches. When these two operation switches are pressed at the same time, a method is generally adopted in which only the assigned special function is activated, but there is a disadvantage that the operation is cumbersome. Therefore, in this embodiment, focusing on the fact that the hexadecimal dump mode and the operation information storage mode are desirably functionalized from the start of the operation of the printer, specific operation switches on the operation panel 4, for example, 6a, 6b, 6c As for, a method is used that has a different function only immediately after the power is turned on. Therefore, in the processing flow of the operation instructing means 12 in FIG. 2, the operation of the operation switches 6a, 6b, and 6c is detected as the specific operation switch immediately after the power is turned on. Set the dump mode and set the operation switch 6
When b is pressed first, the operation information storage mode is set, and when the operation switch 6c is pressed first, the operation information print mode is set. Unless these operation switches are pressed, the normal mode is maintained. For the specific operation switch pressed immediately after the power is turned on, the originally assigned function is invalidated only at that time.

FIG. 3A shows a processing flow of the print control unit 2 in FIG. 1 in the operation information storage mode. In the flow of FIG. 3A, when the print data is input from the host computer in (1), the print data is analyzed in (5) and the specified operation such as printing or line feed is executed. . On the other hand, if there is no input of print data in (1) and instead one of the operation switches on the operation panel is operated in (2), the operation information storage means 9 operates in (3) The identification information such as the name of the switch thus written is written to a predetermined address of the nonvolatile memory 10. The operation information storage means 9 has an address counter for generating an address of the non-volatile memory 10 and updates +1 each time data is written to the non-volatile memory. And in (4)
The control of the operation corresponding to the function of the operated operation switch on the operation panel 4 is executed. The above process is repeated each time print data is input while the printer is in the operating state, or whenever a switch on the operation panel is operated.

In order for the operation information storage means 9 to detect the operation of the operation switch 6 of the operation panel 4, for example, the operation switch 6 is operated only when the operation switch input section 7 of FIG. 1 is in the operation information storage mode. Each time the operation is performed, the interruption is raised and the operation information storage means 9 may be called. By ending the operation information storage mode at the time of occurrence of a failure and shifting to the normal mode, the stored operation information can be made more effective.

FIG. 3B shows a processing flow of the print control unit 2 in the operation information print mode. In this case,
Only the printing process by the operation information printing unit 11 is performed.
To shift from the operation information storage mode to the operation information print mode, the power of the printer must be once turned off, then turned on again, and a predetermined operation switch must be pressed.

The operation information printing means 11 has an address counter for accessing the non-volatile memory 10 in the same manner as the operation information storage means 9, and in (6) of the flow of FIG. Address counter is incremented from initial value by +1
The operation information stored in the nonvolatile memory 10 is sequentially read out while updating, and the name of the corresponding operation switch is printed. When all the contents of the nonvolatile memory are read, the contents of the nonvolatile memory 10 are cleared in (7). Thereafter, the operation information print mode is automatically returned to the normal mode.

[0025]

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily track and specify a fault that occurs immediately after a printer operation, which has been extremely difficult to diagnose in the past, thereby shortening the time required for diagnosing a printer fault. In addition, the reliability can be improved, and the maintenance service can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a processing flowchart of an operation instruction unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a process flowchart of a print control unit in an operation information storage mode and an operation information print mode in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of setting a hexadecimal number dump mode in a conventional printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 2 Printing control part 3 Printing mechanism part 4 Operation panel 5 Liquid crystal display 6 Operation switch 7 Operation switch input part 8 Operation information collection device 9 Operation information storage means 10 Nonvolatile memory 11 Operation information printing means 12 Operation instruction means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 29/00 B41J 29/42 G06F 3/12

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An operation panel having a plurality of operation switches.
In the operation information collecting apparatus of the printer with, predetermined et among a plurality of operation switches of the operation panel
Of the first and second operation switches
One of the two was first operated after the power was turned on.
Monitoring, and the first operation switch is operated first after the power is turned on.
Set operation information storage mode when it detects that
When the power is turned on, the second operation switch is operated first.
Set the operation information print mode when the
Mode setting means, and any operation of the operation panel when the operation information storage mode is set.
Each time a switch is operated, the operation switch identification data is
Data in the nonvolatile memory and store the operation information
Operation information storage means for storing the information in the nonvolatile memory when the operation information print mode is set.
Operation information to read the stored operation information and print out
Broadcast printing unit and printer operation information collecting device you comprising the. 2. The mode setting means according to claim 1,
Further, after the predetermined third operation switch is turned on,
Also monitors whether operation has been performed first, and
When it is detected that the third operation switch has been operated,
This sets the hexadecimal dump mode. When the hexadecimal dump mode is set, it is sent from the host device.
Print information stored in the memory and read out according to the instruction 1
Hexadecimal dump means for printing out in hexadecimal code
Operation information collecting device of the printer, characterized in that.