JPH0113567B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a print control device useful in document processing devices such as Japanese word processors.

(b) Prior Art In document processing devices such as Japanese word processors, documents that have been created and stored in storage means such as a floppy disk are printed on desired paper.

In such printing, as shown in FIG.
Left margin L, right margin R, top margin U, which define the print area (within the dotted line frame in the figure) at 00,
This is performed based on preset printing conditions such as the lower margin D and the character pitch P, which is the distance between the centers of adjacent characters.

Setting each of the above-mentioned margins not only forms a glue margin, but also takes into consideration the design of the printed document.

However, if the paper width B, left and right margins LR, number of characters per line N, and character pitch P become B-(L+R)<N×P...(i), it becomes impossible to print N characters on one line. .

At this time, in conventional devices of this kind, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-59792, a message indicating that printing is not possible is reported by simply lighting an error lamp, or a message indicating that printing is not possible is reported. Warnings were only given in vague terms such as "There is insufficient margin" or "Please reduce the margin." For this reason, when trying to change the margin values to printable ones in response to the above warning, it is unclear how much the margin values should be changed, and as a result, even if the above margin values are changed, the above There was a problem in that a warning may occur and margin values had to be changed multiple times to enable printing.

(c) Purpose of the invention The present invention has been made in view of the above points.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing control device that can reliably change the margins in a single operation by displaying the maximum values of the left and right margins when the condition (i) is met.

(D) Structure of the Invention Figure 2 shows the basic structure of the print control device of the present invention, and 1 shows the printing conditions for printing an existing document: left margin L, right margin R, number of characters in one line N, characters. 2 is a paper width setting means for setting the width B of the printing paper; 3 is an addition means; 4 is a multiplication means; 5, 6
are first and second subtraction means, 7 is a comparison means, 8 is a message output means, and 9 is a control means capable of controlling each of the above means. The multiplication means 4 calculates the product M of the number of characters N and the character pitch P, the first subtraction means 5 calculates the difference S1 between the sum A and the width B, and the second subtraction means 6 calculates the product M and the width B. difference S
2 is determined respectively, and the comparison means 7 compares the product M with the difference S1, and the message output means 8 outputs the difference S2 based on the comparison result signal C'.

Note that C1 to C8 in the figure are control signals output from the control means 1.

(E) Embodiment FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which 11 is a control section consisting of a microcomputer, etc., and the control section sends control signals C1 to C11 according to an internally stored control program. The output controls the various means described below.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a large-capacity storage means such as a floppy disk, and the storage means stores an existing document consisting of a series of character codes, a left margin L, a right margin R, and 1 as printing conditions for such a document. The number of characters in a line N, character pitch P, etc. are stored.
Further, the stored contents are read out by the control signal C1.

Reference numerals 13 to 16 are first to fourth registers, and the left margin L, right margin R, number of characters N, and character pitch P read out from the storage means 12 in response to the control signal C1 are stored in the registers, respectively.

17 is an adder, and the adder receives the control signal C2.
The contents of the first and second registers 13 and 14 are added based on the sum A, and the sum A is output.

18 is a multiplier, and the multiplier receives the control signal C3.
The contents of the third and fourth registers 15 and 16 are multiplied based on , and the product M is output.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a printer as a printing means, and the printer includes paper width setting means 2 for detecting the width of paper.
0 is attached. Such means 20 can be composed of, for example, a plurality of photo sensors that detect both ends of the paper in the width direction, and a circuit that calculates and outputs the paper width B based on the output signals of the photo sensors. Further, such means 20 is operated by a control signal C4, and the printer 19
The normal printing operation is performed by the control signal C11.

21 is a first subtracter, which performs a subtraction process called "B-A" between the output A of the adder 17 and the output B of the paper width setting means 20 based on the control signal C6, As a result, S1 is output.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a second subtracter, which performs a subtraction process called "B-M" between the output M of the multiplier 18 and the output B of the paper width setting means 20 based on the control signal C7. Output the result S2.

23 is a comparator, and the comparator receives the control signal C8.
The output S1 of the first subtractor 21 and the multiplier 1 based on
Compare the output M of 8. In such a comparison, “S
A comparison result signal is sent to the control unit 11 with “0” when “1≧M” and “1” when “S1<M”.
Output as C′.

24 is a message output means, which includes a message storage section 25, first and second AND gates 2;
6, 27, synthesizer 28, CRT display 29
They are operated by control signals C5, C9, and C10, respectively. In such an output means, the data stored in the message storage section 25 is outputted to one terminal of the first AND gate 26 by the control signal C9, and the first and second AND gates 26 and 27 are turned on by the control signal C5. As a result, the data outputted from the message storage section 25 and the output S2 of the second subtracter 22 are outputted to the synthesizer 28 through these gates, and then both of the above data are outputted to the synthesizer 28 by the control signal C10. The images are synthesized and displayed on the CRT display 29.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a document memory for temporarily storing character code strings constituting a ready-made document in the storage means 12, and this memory is a semiconductor RAM (random access memory).
Consists of high-speed memory such as Furthermore, the above character code string is stored by inputting the control signal C1 to the storage means 12 and the document memory. 31
is a character generator that outputs a pattern corresponding to the above character code to the printer 19. The document memory 30, character generator 31, and printer 19 sequentially convert the character codes in the document memory 30 into patterns in response to the control signal C11, and the printer 19 outputs the patterns.

Next, the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 will be explained using FIG. 4 which shows a flowchart of the control program stored in the control section 11. Although not shown, the execution of the control program is started by a signal given to the control unit 11 from an input means such as a keyboard.

First, in step S1, data writing and paper width detection are performed based on control signals C1 and C4.
Specifically, the left margin L, right margin R, number of characters in one line N, character pitch P, and a series of character codes stored in the storage means 12 in advance based on the control signal C1 are stored in the first to fourth registers 13 to 4. 16 and document memory 30, respectively, and the width B of the paper set in the printer 19 is detected by the paper width setting means 20 based on the control signal C4. At this time, the left margin L, right margin R, number of characters in one line N, and character pitch P are also output to the printer 19 as printing conditions.

In step S2, addition processing and multiplication processing are performed in adder 17 and multiplier 18, respectively, based on control signals C2 and C3. The addition process is the first,
An adder 17 adds the left margin L and right margin R stored in the second registers 13 and 14, respectively, and the sum A is output to one input terminal of the first subtracter 21. In the multiplication process, the number of characters N stored in the third and fourth registers 15 and 16, respectively, and the character pitch P are multiplied in the multiplier 18, and the result M is one of the comparator 23 and the second subtractor 22. Output to the input terminal.

In step S3, first and second subtraction processes are executed in the first and second subtracters 21 and 22, respectively, based on the control signals C6 and C7. The first subtraction process converts the output A of the adder 17 and the paper width B to the first subtractor 2.
1, the subtraction "B-A" is performed, and the result S1 is outputted to one input terminal of the comparator 23. In the second subtraction process, the output M of the multiplier 18 and the paper width B are subtracted by the second subtractor 22 as "B-M", and the result S2 is outputted to one input terminal of the second AND gate 26. .

In step S4, a comparison process is performed based on the control signal C8. Such a comparison process is performed by comparing the multiplication result M and the first
Compare the subtraction result S1 with the comparator 23,
When "S1≧M", "0" is outputted, and when "S1<M", "1" is outputted to the control section 11 as the comparison result signal C'.

In step S5, the control section 11 identifies whether the comparison result signal C' output from the comparator 23 is "0" or "1". As a result, when the signal is "0", the process proceeds to step S6, and when it is "1", the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S6, the printer 19 starts a printing operation based on the control signal C11. This printing operation is a normal printing process in which the pattern sent from the character generator 31 is performed in accordance with printing conditions such as the left and right margins LR, the number of characters N, and the character pitch P.

Also, in step S7, control signals C5, C9, C
10, the following message output processing is performed. The message storage unit 25 is activated by the control signal C9.
The data previously stored in is output to one input terminal of the first AND gate 26, and both the first and second AND gates 26 and 27 are opened by the control signal C5, and the data and the second subtraction result S2 are
is input to the synthesizer 28 through the above-mentioned gates. Further, both signals inputted to the synthesizer 28 are synthesized in the synthesizer 28 based on the control signal C10, and the signal is displayed on the CRT display 29, and the processing is completed.

Next, to make it easier to understand the above operation, the left and right margins LR, number of characters N, character pitch P, and width B of the paper set in the printer 19 are shown below.
Processing operations under conditions (i) and (ii) will be specifically explained.

At this time, the message storage section 25 says "Please keep the total value of left and right margins below XXmm"...
Assume that the message () is stored as data.

(i) B-(L+R)<N×P At this time, in steps S1 to S4, the left and right margins LR, the number of characters N, and the character pitch P are stored in the first to fourth registers 13 to 16 from the storage means 12, respectively, and the paper The width B is also detected, and the adder 17, multiplier 18, first and second subtracters 21,
22 and comparator 23, “L+R” and “N
×P”, “B-A”, “B-M”, and “S1>M” are processed and the comparison result signal is the output of the comparator 23.
C' is sent to the control unit 11, and the output S of the second subtracter 22
2 are output to the second AND gate 27, respectively. Next, in step S5, it is determined whether the value of the comparison result signal C' is "0" or "1", but in this case, since "B-(L+R)<N×P", the result is "1". Therefore, the process proceeds to step S7 and ends. In step S7, message storage section 2
The above message () stored in 5 and the output S2 of the second subtracter 22 are combined in the synthesizer 28, and the message "Please make the total value of left and right margins less than S2 mm" is displayed on the CRT display 29. .

(ii) B-(L+R)≧N×P In this case, the processing in steps S1 to S4 is the same as in the case of the condition (i) above, so a description thereof will be omitted. Under such conditions, the comparison result signal C' becomes "0", so the process proceeds from step S5 to step S6 and normal printing processing is performed.

In this way, in this embodiment, the paper width B set in the printer, the left and right margins as printing conditions,
The total value of the maximum possible left and right margin LR from LR, number of characters N, and character pitch P is displayed on the CRT display, so the left and right margins are determined based on this display.
It becomes possible to determine LR.

In this embodiment, the printing paper width is detected using the paper width setting means 20 built into the printer 19, but it is manually input using an input means such as a keyboard, and based on the input value, the paper width setting means 20 built in the printer 19 is used. It may be configured to perform processing.

In addition, in this example, the maximum possible left and right margin LR
Although the total value of is displayed on the CRT display 29, it may be configured to be notified by audio output means or the like instead of being displayed on the display.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 11, the first to fourth registers 13 to 16, the adder 17, the multiplier 18, the first and second subtracters 21 and 22, and the comparator 23 are configured separately; These may be configured in one chip using a microcomputer.

(f) Effect Since the printing control device of the present invention displays the maximum possible total value of the left and right margins, if the margin values are changed based on such display, it is possible to print the left and right margins LR with a single change. Can be a value.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an imitation diagram for explaining printing conditions, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of the printing control device of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. This figure is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1... Storage means, 2... Paper width setting means, 3...
... addition means, 4 ... multiplication means, 5, 6 ... first,
Second subtraction means, 7... Comparison means, 8... Message output means, 9... Control means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A storage means that stores at least a left margin L, a right margin R, the number of characters in one line N, and a character pitch P as printing conditions for printing an existing document, and a paper width setting means for setting the width B of printing paper. ,
The addition means, the multiplication means, the first and second subtraction means, the comparison means, the message output means, and the control means for controlling each of the above means, the sum A of the left and right margins LR is calculated by the addition means, and the sum A of the left and right margins LR is calculated by the multiplication means. The product M of the number of characters N and the character pitch P is calculated from the first
The subtraction means calculates the difference S1 between the sum A and the width B, and the second subtraction means calculates the difference S2 between the product M and the width B.
are determined respectively, and the product M is determined by the comparison means.
and the difference S1, and if it is determined that M>S1 as a result of the comparison, the print control device outputs the difference S2 as the maximum possible total value of the left and right margins LR by a message output means. .