JPS6124756B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a printing information setting device for an automatic ticket vending machine having a character pattern storage device for dot printing.

(b) Prior Art As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-43076, such automatic ticket vending machines create a ticket pattern based on information printed on the ticket, and print this ticket pattern in a predetermined format. This is what is issued.

By the way, Figure 1 shows an example of a ticket issued by a food ticket vending machine.It is desirable for the menu name to be in the center of the ticket, that is, in the left and right blank spaces, evenly spaced from each other. The card face pattern must be set for the part. Second
The figure shows the memory that stores the menu name format, in this case from address 3000 to 3009.
You can set the menu name card pattern using up to 10 characters in the 10 bytes up to the address. To set the card face pattern in such a memory according to the above format, store the menu name "Coffee" in addresses 3004 to 3007, and enter spaces in other addresses. . However, such settings are difficult and troublesome.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention As described above, according to the prior art, printing is performed according to a predetermined format, and changing the format requires changing the input, which is not easy. I couldn't change it.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a print information setting device for an automatic ticket vending machine that can sequentially set print information from the edge of the storage area and automatically transfer the set print information to the center of the storage area when the setting is completed. This is what we provide.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides a keyboard that generates a character code corresponding to characters or numbers constituting print information to be set by key operation, and a keyboard that can be printed at maximum in one predetermined direction on the face of a bill. a storage device that stores the maximum number of characters; a counter that counts the number of characters in the printed information; and a rewritable memory that has a storage area corresponding to the maximum number of characters;
The character codes generated sequentially by key operations according to the print information are stored address by address from the highest or lowest address in the memory, and when the print information setting is completed, the maximum number of characters is counted by the counter. The print information is transferred to an address in the center of the storage area based on the number of characters.

(E) Embodiment Figure 3 shows the entire automatic ticket vending machine, with customer service department 1
Arranged in the display are a sales product display section 2, a selection button 3 for each product type, a hardening input slot 4, a display section 5 for displaying store name, etc., and an amount display section 6 for input amount or change amount. A sales outlet 8 for dispensing change and tickets is provided outside the ticket issuing unit 7, and after an internal printer prints predetermined print information regarding the menu of the selection button 3 operated by the customer, the ticket is sent to the sales outlet 8. It is configured to do so. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the printer 9, in which a predetermined amount of ticket paper is removed from a shaft 10 by a ticket paper extraction roller 11 for each sales operation.
The printing head 12 prints predetermined characters or numbers, and the cutter 13 cuts the paper. FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the print head 12, which has heating elements 1 of 7 dots in a vertical row.
4, and printing is performed by energizing or de-energizing the seven elements 14 while the print head 12 moves laterally in synchronization with a timing signal. Figure 6 shows the printing of "A", and the printing head 12 is moved along five timing pulses to operate the element 14 in the shaded area from timing T ₁ to T ₅ as shown in Figure 7. Printing is performed by outputting "1" or "0" to each of the seven elements. The character pattern separated into dots for each character is stored in a memory called a character generator, and since the character pattern is controlled by five timing pulses, a storage capacity of 5 bytes is required. As shown in the figure, 7-bit data in columns is stored for each byte.

FIG. 8 shows a control circuit of the print information setting device according to the present invention in a block diagram. 15 is a keyboard that generates a character signal by key operation;
6 is RAM, 17 is read/write controller, 18
19 is a set character counter, 20 is a subtraction counter, 21 is an arithmetic unit, 22 is a print control device including the printer 9, and 23 is an address setting device, which is indicated by a bold line. Arrows indicate character codes or address data buses. keyboard 1
5 consists of character keys for each necessary character from "A" to "N", number keys from 0 to 9, and a function key to be operated when setting print information. FK ₁ , Function key FK _{2 when setting sales price, Function key FK 3} when setting sales product name, Function key FK ₃ when setting is completed.
Operate FK ₄ individually. The character code generated when you operate a letter or number key is
A character code that is introduced into the RAM 16 and stored in a predetermined storage area, and generated when a function key is operated, is introduced into the address setting device 23 and becomes information necessary for specifying the storage area of the RAM 16. To explain the sale product name setting operation, when the character code generated by the operation of the FK ₃ key is introduced into the address setting device 23, the address setting device 23 specifies the sale product name storage area address 3000 (FIG. 2) of the RAM 16. When a character key is operated, a character code indicating the character is written at address 3000, and the set character number counter 19 counts "1". Subsequently, when any character key is operated again, the address setting device 23 specifies address 3001 based on the counted content "1" of the counter 19, and then a character code indicating the character in question is written at the same address, and the counter 19 increments by one and counts "2". After writing the character code, the address setting device 23 specifies address 3000 and waits. When a character key is operated subsequently, the address setting device 23 specifies address 3002 and writes a character code based on the count content of the counter 19 "2", and the counter 19 reads "3".
count. Therefore, each time the character keys are operated in sequence according to the spelling of the sales product name, the address setting device 23 specifies the upper address by one address from address 3000, and the character code corresponding to each character is written in that address. The counter 19 counts the number of character key operations. For example, when setting "coffee" as the print information, if you operate the character keys sequentially, the printout will be 3000.
The character code of each character is stored from address 3003 to address 3003, and after writing is completed, address setting device 23 specifies address 3000 and waits. After setting the sales product name, if you operate the FK ₄ key or the FK ₁ and FK ₂ keys that specify the setting operation for store name, price, etc., the count contents of the counter 19 are transferred to the subtraction counter 20, and the calculation unit 21 calculates the maximum value. Half of the difference between the content stored in the character number storage device 18 and the content transferred by the counter 19 to the subtraction counter 20 is calculated and stored in the storage device 24. When the above "coffee" is set, the counter 19 counts "4" and transfers this content to the counter 20, so the arithmetic unit 21
calculates "3". If the calculation result is not an integer, an integer above or below the division value is used.

Next, the address setting device 23 uses the subtraction counter 2.
The address 3003 is specified based on the count content "4" of 0, and the read signal R is sent to the read/write control device 17.
Output. Note that the address setting device 23 is
Since counter 19 was set to "1" when address 3000 was specified, counter 2
If 0 is "4", address 3003 is specified by the calculation of 3000+(4-1). Therefore, reading/
The write control device 17 reads and holds the character code corresponding to "-" stored at address 3003 of the RAM 16. Then, the address setting device 23 specifies address 3006 based on the count content “4” of the subtraction counter 20 and the storage content “3” of the storage device 24 and outputs a write signal to the read/write control device 17. In this example, the storage device 24
Since the print information is shifted by "3" characters stored in , if the counter 20 is "4", address 3006 is specified by the calculation of 3000+(4-1)+3. Therefore, the read/write controller 17
writes the previously read and held character code "-" to address 3006 in the RAM 16. Furthermore, after the writing is completed, the address setting device 23 outputs a subtraction pulse to the subtraction counter 20 to count "3".

Next, the address setting device 23 calculates 3000+(3-
In the calculation of 1), in order to specify address 3002 and output read signal R, the character code corresponding to "hi" stored in address 3002 of RAM 16 is read, and read/write control is performed. It is held by a device 17. Thereafter, the address setting device 23 outputs the count content "3" of the subtraction counter 20 and the storage device 24.
Based on the memory content “3”, 3000+(3-1)+
In step 3, specify address 3005 and send write signal W.
In order to output this, the character code "Hi" is written to address 3005 of the RAM 16. Further, after the writing is completed, the subtraction counter 20 counts "2".

The above operation is repeated until the subtraction counter 20 calculates "0" by the subtraction count, and the following "-" is stored at address 3001 of the RAM 16.
The character code corresponding to is at address 3004,
The character code corresponding to "K" stored at address 3000 is written to address 3003, respectively.

When the transfer of the setting information inside the RAM 16 is completed, the address setting device 23 sets address 3000 according to the storage content "3" of the storage device 24.
Specify three addresses, 3001 and 3002, in sequence and send a clear signal to the read/write control device 17.
Output CL. Therefore, "0" is written to the above addresses that are specified sequentially, and as a result, in the area from addresses 3000 to 3009, from address 3003 to
This means that character codes corresponding to the characters "coffee" are set only at address 3006. Although not shown, the configuration is such that the sales price can be stored in numbers up to 4 characters (4 digits), and the store name can be stored in up to 10 characters.
A 4-byte sales price storage area and a 10-byte store name storage area are allocated to the predetermined addresses of 6, respectively, and the addresses are designated by operating the FK ₂ key and the FK ₁ key, respectively. In the case of selling price and store name, after operating the function key, if printing information is set by operating the letter or number keys, the information is automatically transferred to the center of each storage area. Although not shown in the control circuit of FIG. 8, in a ticket vending machine that issues multiple types of tickets, there is a function key for specifying the ticket type, and the RAM 16 also has a function key for specifying the ticket type. There is a storage area for sales product names. Therefore, when setting print information, after operating the function key to designate the ticket type, the FK ₂ key and FK ₃ key may be operated in accordance with the sale item name or sale price.

Next, the ticket issuing operation will be explained. When the customer operates one of the selection buttons 2...2 after inserting a predetermined amount of money and the selection signal _SL1 , _SL2 ... _SLo is input,
The address setting device 23 corresponds to the selected ticket type.
The storage area of the RAM 16 is addressed and the read/write control device 17 is placed in a read state. Therefore, the read/write control device 17 sequentially reads out the character codes stored in the storage area and introduces them into the print control device 22. The print control device 22 includes the character generator therein, reads out a specific character pattern based on the input character code, and issues a printout using the printer 9.

(F) Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to create a format that automatically prints the printed information in the center of the bill when inputting the printed information on the bill. Therefore, there is no need for the operator to change the format, which not only improves operability, but also allows stable issuing of well-balanced tickets.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows an example of issuance, Figure 2 shows the RAM address allocation section, Figure 3 shows an external view of the automatic ticket vending machine,
Figure 4 is a configuration diagram of the printer, Figure 5 is the print head, Figure 6 is the character pattern for the letter "A", Figure 7 is the print data for the character "A", and Figure 8 is the control related to print information settings. The circuits are shown respectively. 15...Keyboard, 18...Storage device, 19
...Counter, 16...Memory.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A keyboard that generates a character code corresponding to the characters or numbers constituting the print information to be set by key operation, and a storage device that stores the maximum number of characters that can be printed in a predetermined direction on the ticket surface;
a counter that counts the number of characters in the printed information;
It consists of a rewritable memory with a storage area corresponding to the maximum number of characters, and character codes generated sequentially by key operations according to the printed information are stored in one address from the highest or lowest address of the memory. The print information setting of an automatic ticket vending machine is characterized in that the print information is memorized every time, and when the print information setting is completed, the print information is transferred to an address in the center of the storage area based on the maximum number of characters and the number of characters counted by the counter. Device.