JPH0772902B2 - Bar code printing control method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Outline] The present invention relates to improvement of a barcode printing control method by a dot-matrix printer device, and to provide a barcode printing control method capable of making an accurate black-white ratio during barcode printing. A bar code printing control method for printing a bar code in two steps by using a dot matrix type printer device for the purpose of: a black bar width that provides a regular black-white ratio in the first printing. Print a black bar thinner than the correction, then scan the bar code printed on the paper with a bar code sensor, find the black bar width from the waveform detected by the bar code sensor, and then in the second printing Is the difference between the black bar width obtained from the waveform detected by the bar code sensor and the black bar width that makes the regular black-white ratio. Is configured to be printed.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an improvement of a barcode printing control method by a dot matrix type printer device.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining conventional bar code printing by a dot matrix type printer device. In the prior art, the regular black bar width is n times the dot pitch (for example, 1/180 inch) (n is an integer). The dot pattern of the barcode to be printed is stored in the pattern buffer. For example, when the first dot pulse rises, the first pattern in the pattern buffer
The second dot row is printed, and when the second dot pulse rises, the second dot row in the pattern buffer is printed. Hereinafter, similar processing is performed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the conventional bar code printing method, the print timing interval is constant, so when printing n black dot rows that make up one black bar, the pin diameter of the printing pin and the ink
Due to ink bleeding on the ribbon, the black bar actually printed on the paper becomes wider than the regular black bar width.
Further, there is a black bar having a regular bar width of 1.7 dots, for example, but the conventional bar code printing method cannot print a black bar having a bar width of 1.7 dots.

The present invention was created in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a barcode printing control method that can make the black-white ratio at the time of barcode printing accurate.

[Methods for solving problems]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the principle of the present invention. In the present invention, a dot-matrix printer is used to print a barcode in two steps.

In the first printing, the black bar is printed with a correction amount (for example, one dot) smaller than the black bar width that provides the regular black-white ratio. After the first bar code printing, the bar code printed on the paper is scanned by the bar code sensor, and the black bar width is obtained from the waveform detected by the bar code sensor. In the second printing, the difference between the black bar width obtained from the detection waveform of the bar code sensor and the black bar width with the normal black-white ratio is obtained, and the remaining black bar portion is printed by referring to the obtained difference. I do.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the time from the rise of the dot pulse to the actual printing. In the figure, 1 is a dot pulse that gives a trigger for the start of printing processing, and 2 is a printing position.

The rising of the dot pulse gives an opportunity to start the printing process, and the actual printing is performed after a certain time T has elapsed. The time T is composed of an adjustment time T1, a pin (hammer magnet) energization time T2, and a mechanical delay time T3 for the pin to print. The printer controller can control the adjustment time T1. Pin energization time
T2 and mechanical delay time T3 are fixedly determined by the specifications of the print head. The adjustment time T1 is determined by the value of the print timing fine adjustment timer, and this value is variable.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the printing of dot patterns in the edit data storage area. In the figure, 3 is an edit data storage area in which the edited dot pattern is stored,
DP indicates a data pointer, respectively.

The data in the edit data storage area 3 is output for each column. For example, for the column P2, P21, P22,
The pin data is driven at the same time for each dot data of P27. Each time the dot pulse 1 rises, if it is forward printing, it will be output as P1 row, P2 row, ..., P7 row sequentially, and if it is backward printing, it will be output as P7 row, P6 row, ... Will be. The data pointer DP designates the dot row to be read, and when the read dot row is printed, the value of the data pointer DP is incremented by one.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of an electric circuit of the printer. In the figure, 5 is a CPU, 6 is an address bus, and 7
Is a data bus, 8 is a pattern buffer, 9 is a program storage ROM, 10 is a data storage RAM, 11 is a console panel, 12 is an interface, 13 is a main unit, 14 is a motor driver, 15 is a hammer driver, 16 is a sensor driver, 17 is a line feed motor, 18 is a carrier movement motor,
19 is a sensor, 20 is a carrier, 21 is a bar code sensor,
Reference numeral 23 is a print head, and 24 is an ink ribbon cassette.

The CPU 5 executes the program stored in the program storage ROM 9. The CPU 5 writes data to a register or memory or reads data from a register or memory via the address bus 6 and the data bus 7.
Although not shown, the CPU 5 has a timer inside, and this timer is used as a print timing fine adjustment timer.

The pattern buffer 8 is the same as the edit data storage area 3, and one row of dot matrix data to be sent to the print head 23 is stored therein. Various programs are stored in the program storage ROM 9. The data storage RAM 10 has various buffers, work areas, and the like. Various switches are provided on the console panel 11 such as a liquid crystal display. In addition,
Although not shown, it goes without saying that there is a CG memory for storing character dot patterns and barcode dot patterns.

The interface 12 is a part that communicates with the main body device 13. When the print command is sent from the main body device 13, the interface 12 stores the print command in the buffer of the data storage RAM 10 and interrupts the CPU 5. When this interrupt is received, the CPU5 causes the characters and symbols based on the print command,
Performs processing for printing graphics and the like.

The motor driver 14 amplifies a signal to be sent to the line feed motor 17 and the carrier moving motor 18. The hammer driver 15 amplifies a hammer driving current to be sent to the print head 24. The sensor driver 16 amplifies the signal sent from the sensor 19 and shapes the waveform. The signal output from the barcode sensor 21 is also input to the sensor driver 16.

The carrier 20 includes a print head 23 and a bar code sensor 21.
Is fixed, and the ink ribbon cassette 24 is detachably attached. When the carrier moving motor 18 rotates, the carrier 20 runs left and right.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the first printing and the second printing in the present invention. It is assumed that the pattern buffer 8 stores a black bar made up of four black dot rows. 1
In the second printing, the first black dot row, the second black dot row, and the third black dot row are printed. That is,
When the first dot pulse rises, the first black dot row of the pattern buffer is read out, and the first black dot row is T after the rising edge of the first dot pulse.
The second dot is printed after the time and is printed by the print pin.
When the pulse rises, the second black dot row in the pattern buffer is read out, the second black dot row is printed by the print pin T time after the rising of the second dot pulse, and the third black dot row is printed. When the dot pulse rises, the third black dot row in the pattern buffer is read out, and the third black dot row is printed by the print pin after T time from the rising edge of the third dot pulse.

After printing a black bar consisting of three black dot rows on the paper, scan the black bar on the paper with the barcode sensor 21, and from the detection output of this sensor 21, the width x of the black bar on the paper
To calculate.

If the width of the black bar according to the regular black-white ratio is Wn, the remaining bar width B is B = Wn-x.

The second printing is performed as follows. Fourth
The printing of the second dot row is adjusted by adjusting the value of the print timing fine adjustment timer so that the time required for moving the third dot pulse by B is delayed from the rising timing of the third dot pulse. Then, at the rising edge of the third dot pulse, the fourth black dot row is read out, and at time T after the rising edge of the third dot pulse, the fourth black dot row is printed by the print pin.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the barcode printing process.
The bar code printing process is executed by a bar code printing process routine in the program storage ROM. When performing the barcode printing process, first determine whether the resolution is high resolution or low resolution, the barcode height, the barcode type, and the barcode
Data (representing numbers) and the like are sent from the main body device, and then a print command is sent. When the print command is received, the barcode print processing routine is executed, and the following processing is performed.

Edit barcode dot pattern. The edited barcode dot pattern is the data storage RA
Stored in M10.

 Move the print head to the print start position.

A bar code is printed with one dot left for each bar (black bar). That is, the black dot row at the right end of the black bar is cleared from the bar code dot pattern edited in, the cleared bar code dot pattern is transferred to the pattern buffer 8, and the routine is called in FIG. .

When the first printing is completed, the bar code sensor 21 is moved to the start position.

The bar code sensor 21 is scanned to detect the width of the black bar printed on the paper.

 The detection result is compared with the accurate black bar width.

 Detect remaining bar width.

 Adjust the value of the print timing fine adjustment timer.

The remaining 1 dot is printed a second time based on the print timing fine adjustment timer. That is, all but the rightmost black dot row of the black bar is cleared from the barcode dot pattern edited in step 4, and the i row of the cleared barcode dot pattern becomes the i-1 row of the pattern buffer 8. Move the cleared barcode dot pattern to the pattern buffer 8 as shown in FIG.
CALL

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the dot pattern printing process in the edit data storage area.

 The data pointer DP is set to the initial value.

Give a carrier operation instruction. In the case of forward printing, the carrier is initially located at the left end.

Check to see if dot pulse is on. If Yes, go to.

Wait for the adjustment time specified by the count value of the print timing fine adjustment timer.

The data (dot string) pointed to by the data pointer DP is set in the latch circuit (existing in the hammer driver 15).

Turn on pin drive current. Note that the pin drive current is automatically turned off by the hardware circuit after a certain time has elapsed.

 Advance the data pointer DP by one.

Check if printing is completed.If Yes, go to and No
When returns to.

Give a carrier stop instruction. When printing in the forward direction, the carrier stops at the left end.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the second
In the second printing, since the remaining black bar portion is printed by referring to the difference between the black bar width obtained from the detection waveform of the bar code sensor and the black bar width that is the regular black-white ratio,
Even if the amount of ink bleeding changes depending on the quality of the paper and the state of the ink ribbon, it is possible to always print an accurate barcode. In the above-described embodiment, the first dot is printed by leaving one dot row on the right side of each black bar, but the dot row to be left may be several dot rows instead of one dot row. . Further, in the first printing, one dot row or several dot rows on the left side of each black bar may be left.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the time from the rise of the dot pulse to the actual printing, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the dot pattern printing in the edit data storage area, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the electric circuit of the printer, FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the first printing and the second printing in the present invention, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a barcode printing process of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow chart of a dot pattern printing process, and FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating conventional barcode printing. 1 ... Dot pulse, 2 ... Print position, 3 ... Edit data storage area, 5 ... CPU, 6 ... Address bus,
7 ... Data bus, 8 ... Pattern buffer, 9 ...
… Program storage ROM, 10 …… Data storage RAM, 11 …… Console panel, 12 …… Interface, 13 …… Main unit, 14 …… Motor driver, 15 …… Hammer driver, 16 …… Sensor driver , 17 …… Motor for line feed, 18
...... Carrier moving motor, 19 …… Sensor, 20 …… Carrier, 21 …… Bar code sensor, 23 …… Print head,
24 ... Ink ribbon cassette, DP ... Data pointer.

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-1-304967 (JP, A) JP-A-63-7955 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A bar code printing control method for printing a bar code in two steps using a dot-matrix type printer device, wherein a black bar having a regular black-white ratio in the first printing. Print a black bar thinner than the width by the correction amount, then scan the bar code printed on the paper with a bar code sensor, obtain the black bar width from the waveform detected by the bar code sensor, and then print for the second time. In this case, the difference between the black bar width obtained from the detection waveform of the bar code sensor and the black bar width that makes the regular black-white ratio is obtained, and the remaining black bar portion is printed by referring to the obtained difference. Characteristic barcode printing control method.